If your child would like to attend a world-class, private research university in a history-filled city on the East Coast, Boston University should be at the top of their list. Founded in 1839, Boston University offers over 300 academic programs, top undergraduate research opportunities, and prestigious global recognition.
The faculty, staff, and students of Boston University hail from 50 states and over 150 countries, but all share a common passion to pursue knowledge and embrace possibilities. Aligning with its international focus, BU provides more than 80 study abroad opportunities to its students, encouraging them to embrace other cultures and become global citizens.
In the classroom, BU students are taught by Nobel Prize winners, Guggenheim Fellows, Fulbright Scholars, and Sloan Research Fellows. With class sizes averaging only 30 students, undergraduates have opportunities to take active roles in their education and develop mentorships with their accomplished professors.
On any given day, Boston University students pursue their interests in courses like “Magic, Science, and Religion”—part of the general education curriculum known as the BU Hub. Outside of classes, students gather at many different spots around campus, including the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground.
With over 450 student groups available, the sky’s the limit when it comes to engaging in the campus community—students can pursue anything from competing in broomball leagues to delivering art education to local students. And while there’s plenty to explore in the city, Boston University has many unique on-campus traditions for students to enjoy—such as Lobster Night and the BU Pumpkin Drop.
And after Boston University? Graduates join an alumni network containing over 400,000 members spread throughout 180 different countries. Alumni hold positions in nearly every industry—you can find Boston Terriers in roles as magazine editors, state governors, Fortune 500 CEOs and CFOs, U.S. ambassadors, and award-winning actors and actresses. With a network this expansive to support them, it’s no surprise that 94 percent of Boston grads find employment or enroll in a graduate program within six months of earning their degree.
Boston University is a premier educational institution that attracts over 80,000 applicants every year. With so many high-achieving students applying to BU, you understand why your child is eager to learn how to get into Boston University. Continue reading to discover the Boston University acceptance rate, the Boston University average GPA, and how your child can boost their BU admissions odds.
Boston University is located in the heart of—you guessed it—Boston, Massachusetts. This iconic city, known as “the birthplace of the American Revolution,” offers students the chance to revisit and appreciate our nation’s history. But Boston is unique for its duality—not only does it remind us of the past, but it also leads us into the future through innovation and education. With Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University located within a few miles of each other, Boston is one of the premier research cities in the country.
Boston boasts a number of special attractions that captivate tourists and locals alike—including the Freedom Trail, Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the JFK Presidential Library and Museum. Fortunately for students, Boston is a pedestrian- and bicyclist-friendly city that encourages exploration and adventuring—ensuring BU students never find themselves with a shortage of things to do.
Boston University’s campus spans 169 acres along the Charles River, just slightly west of Boston’s city center. Just by walking to the edge of campus, students can take advantage of Boston's extensive public transportation system—known commonly as “the T.” After hopping on the subway, every attraction in Boston is easily within reach of this urban campus.
While BU’s campus is relatively small, it is also historic and picturesque. It’s intentionally open to the city, encouraging students to make all of Boston their home. And the city of Boston certainly does not disappoint, offering students diverse cultures, spirited athletic pride, and unmatched local food to enjoy. (Boston baked beans, anyone?)
Several big industries dominate Boston’s economic landscape, including finance, research and development, healthcare, education, publishing, and government. These industries offer BU students unparalleled opportunities for career development, internships, and networking. In fact, 84 percent of students complete at least one internship while at Boston University.
Boston University’s acceptance rate for the class of 2027 is 10.7%. This means out of 80,495 applications, only 8,612 acceptances were sent out making BU a rather selective institution. For the final class, only 3,145 of these acceptances matriculated.
Boston University’s early decision acceptance rate is roughly 25% for the class of 2027. This includes both Early Decision I and Early Decision II applicants. In the end, applicants accepted through the early decision pool comprised 57% of the class.
The early decision acceptance rate for the incoming class of 2028 is 34.1%. This figure only takes the first round of early decision into account, but it is the most recent data available. There were 3,832 applicants and 1,307 accepted.
In recent years, the Boston University transfer acceptance rate has hovered around 50%. For the Fall 2023 entrance, BU received 6,107 transfer applications; 840 of these applicants eventually matriculated.
Boston University’s 2024–2025 cost of attendance (i.e., tuition, room, board, and fees) runs $90,207.
However, BU promises to meet 100 percent of need for first-year students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Each year, $329.5 million is awarded in undergraduate financial aid, approximately 92 percent of which is need-based.
94 percent of freshmen students continue on to their sophomore year at BU.
Beyond knowing the Boston University acceptance rate, the best way for potential applicants to assess their odds of getting accepted is to look at the Boston University admissions statistics for the class of 2027, which reveal that applicants are at the top of their academic game and the competition to get accepted is strong.
When viewing the average SAT and ACT scores for Boston University below, note that 59 percent of admitted students did not submit test scores.
As of Fall 2023, the largest demographic represented among BU undergrads were white students (29.2%). The next largest racial groups found in the population were Asian Americans (18.1%), Hispanic Americans (12.8%), and Black or African Americans (9%). International students were not counted among these populations.
The most popular major areas among BU students are social sciences, business administration and management, communication and media studies, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and engineering.
If your child wants to know how to get into Boston University, a good place to start is by understanding the BU admissions requirements. To find their ideal students, the BU admissions committee closely evaluates applicants’ academics, test scores, and extracurriculars.
With over 80,000 students competing for admission, Boston University has the luxury of selecting applicants with the strongest academic potential. In order to prove your child has what it takes to succeed in BU’s rigorous curriculum and elevate its reputation as a prosperous alumnus, they should take some of the most challenging courses offered at their high school—including dual-enrollment, honors, AP, and IB classes.
You might be wondering, what’s the “right” amount of challenging classes for your child to take? Surely, you don’t want them to be overwhelmed and earn poor grades or be forced to drop their meaningful extracurricular activities. There is a balance you should aim for—take the number of classes that will stretch your child to the limits of their ability without being more than they can handle.
When choosing which challenging courses to pursue, your child should prioritize classes relating to their interests and potential career. If they want to go into a STEM field, they don’t need to overburden themselves with AP Literature or AP Spanish courses—unless of course, they have genuine interests in those areas. But in general, Boston would prefer to see AP Chemistry, AP Biology, or AP Calculus from a STEM applicant.
In response to the many test cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston University has adopted a temporary test-optional policy for students applying for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 admission. If applicants were able to take the SAT or ACT exams and their scores accurately reflect their academic ability, they are encouraged to submit them. However, students will not be penalized if they choose not to include SAT or ACT scores with their application through Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
Because the average Boston University SAT scores and ACT scores of admitted students are impressively high, we encourage students to take these exams more than once and to study hard in order to maximize their scores. Taking test prep courses or receiving one-on-one tutoring are typically successful methods for students to increase their scores and their admissions odds.
While displaying strong academic skills is an important part of being a competitive BU applicant, high test scores and GPA alone aren’t enough to earn any student an offer of admission. As Boston University makes clear, what students do outside the classroom matters, too. Ideal BU students have ambition, take risks while pursuing their passions, and engage in meaningful community service.
Keep in mind the Boston University community purpose—to pursue knowledge and embrace possibilities. Then consider how your child can display these values in their extracurricular activities. One of the most effective ways to achieve this aim is for your child to determine their biggest interest areas and explore them in unique, in-depth ways. We can use an example to illustrate this approach.
Imagine your child’s biggest passion is playing the violin. The best extracurricular strategy would be for them to pursue this passion through methods that display leadership, service, research, and creativity. To demonstrate leadership, your child could organize a small ensemble group of peers and perform at local events. Using a love of violin for service could be as simple as giving free violin lessons to younger students or performing at homes for the elderly. As a way to connect music with research, they could assist with a study examining the effect of music therapy on depression. And to be impressively creative, your child could compose original songs, either sharing them on YouTube or recording them into an EP and selling it online.
Just imagine a Boston University admissions officer reading through this list of activities on your child’s application. They would be amazed at the level of initiative. Using this extracurricular approach will set your child apart from other applicants and improve their chances of getting into Boston University.
If your child has the academic statistics and extracurricular history to form a strong BU applicant profile, they might be ready to apply to Boston University. Here is a list of requirements for the BU application.
