Boston University: Cost, Admission Odds And Payoff
- Boston University admitted 9,853 of 76,776 first-year applicants for fall 2025, and 35% of the students it admitted enrolled. Early decision accounted for 2,165 of those admits, equal to 63% of the 3,449-student first-year class.
- Families earning under $200,000 pay no more than $20,000 a year for tuition, housing and dining, and families earning $75,000 or less pay nothing.
- 34% of the class of 2025 took out student loans. Those who borrowed left with an average of $36,774.
Is Boston University Worth It? The College Investor Rating
| Family | What They Pay | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | B | |
| Low-Income Families | Average $28,050 a year | B |
| Middle-Income Families | Average $61,616 a year | B |
| High-Income Families | $90,106 a year | B |
How Hard Is It To Get Into Boston University?
Boston University accepted 13% of first-year applicants for fall 2025: 9,853 admits from 76,776 applications. 3,449 of those students enrolled, a yield of 35%.
- Median SAT Reading: 730
- Median SAT Math: 750
- Median ACT Composite: 34
What Boston University Weighs In Admissions
Boston University rates course rigor and academic GPA as very important. Demonstrated interest counts, so campus visits and contact with admissions can help. Legacy status doesn't count.
Very Important
Important
Considered
Not Considered
What Will Boston University Actually Cost Your Family?
The average Boston University student receiving financial aid paid $36,503 a year after grants.
That's against a sticker price of $90,106 a year. Families earning under $200,000 pay no more than $20,000 a year for tuition, housing and dining, and families earning $75,000 or less pay nothing. Boston University is one of a growing number of colleges offering free tuition by family income.
| Total Borrowed Over Four Years | $0 |
| Within Federal Student Loan Limits | $0 |
| Beyond Federal Student Loan Limits | $0 |
| Monthly Student Loan Payment, 10-Year Plan | $0 |
| Expected Pay In Your Major | $0 |
How Boston University Meets Financial Need
Boston University reports meeting 92% of demonstrated financial need on average. In 2025-2026, 7,378 of Boston University's 17,423 full-time undergraduates had financial need, and their average need-based grant was $65,706. Boston University determines financial need with both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, so how your assets are counted affects what you pay. 677 students without financial need received merit scholarships averaging $35,604.
Grants made up 96% of Boston University's need-based financial aid in 2025-2026. The rest came from student jobs, including Federal Work-Study, and $10,023,880 in student loans.
| Source | Need-Based | Not Need-Based |
|---|---|---|
| Boston University Grants | $448,520,277 | $27,156,717 |
| Federal Grants | $27,712,872 | $536,224 |
| State Grants | $3,119,425 | $39,550 |
| Outside Scholarships | $2,564,204 | $3,537,569 |
| Student Jobs And Work-Study | $9,758,980 | $0 |
| Student Loans | $10,023,880 | $42,468,172 |
| Parent Loans, Including Parent PLUS | $6,196,675 | $23,673,604 |
| Athletic Scholarships | $17,508,132 |
Families Cover Part Of Their Financial Need
Boston University met an average of 92% of financial need in 2025-2026. The rest falls to families as savings, income, Parent PLUS loans or private student loans. Read your financial aid award letter carefully and appeal it if the numbers don't work.
| Measure | All Undergrads | First Year |
|---|---|---|
| Students With Financial Need | 7,378 | 1,344 |
| Share Of Financial Need Met | 92% | 98% |
| Average Need-Based Grant | $65,706 | $66,926 |
| Average Financial Aid Package | $69,396 | $70,629 |
| Average Student Loan | $1,239 | $510 |
| Students Without Financial Need Receiving Merit Scholarships | 677 | 116 |
Does A Boston University Degree Pay Off?
For most students, yes. That's why Boston University earns .
Boston University students earn a median of $89,087 ten years after starting college, and 90% out-earn a typical high school graduate. 30% take out federal student loans, and the typical borrower leaves owing $17,500, about 20% of one year's pay. Earnings still depend heavily on major: Computer Science graduates earned a median of $136,667 four years after graduating, compared with $55,804 for Radio, Television, And Digital Communication graduates.
Who Borrowed In The Class Of 2025
1,444 of Boston University's 4,262 bachelor's graduates in 2025 left with student loan debt, averaging $36,774. The 418 graduates who used private student loans averaged $71,577.
| Student Loan Type | Borrowers | Share Of Class | Average Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any Student Loan | 1,444 | 34% | $36,774 |
| Federal Student Loans | 1,381 | 32% | $28,464 |
| Private Student Loans | 418 | 10% | $71,577 |
How We Graded Boston University
The overall grade weighs payoff, price, graduation and student debt. Price counts what low-income families pay (5 points), what middle-income families pay (10 points) and the sticker price high-income families pay (10 points). Each income grade swaps in that family's price alone.
Grade Checks
Financial Aid Check
Boston University meets 92% of financial need on average.
Financial Health Check
No federal heightened cash monitoring and no closure, merger or financial exigency announcements.
Earnings Floor
90% of students out-earn a typical high school graduate. Schools where most don't are capped at a D.
Boston University In The News
More For Boston University Applicants
Compare Boston University With Similar Schools
Sources And Methodology
The College Investor Rating scores every four-year college from 0 to 100 on payoff (30%), price (25%), graduation (20%) and student debt (25%) using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data. An earnings floor and a financial health check can cap the grade at D, and a financial aid check flags concerns without changing it. Price is judged on its own, without earnings. The grade measures financial return for families, not teaching quality, campus life or a school's mission.
Notes On The Data
- Low-income families earn under $48,000. Middle-income families earn $48,000 to $110,000. Their prices are federal averages for first-time, full-time students who received financial aid.
- High-income families are those who get no grant aid, so they pay the sticker price (cost of attendance).
- Paying full price is the share of undergraduates who received no grant aid from any source in 2022-23, from the Education Department's IPEDS survey. The chance of merit aid divides merit scholarship recipients by full-time undergraduates without financial need, from the Common Data Set.
- Earnings by major are medians four years after graduation. Majors with too few graduates for the government to report earnings are left out. Debt by major is median federal student loan debt among borrowers.
- Admissions, financial aid and class of 2025 student loan figures come from the Boston University Common Data Set 2025-2026. Student loan debt at graduation excludes Parent PLUS and other parent loans, and students who transferred in.
- The calculator uses federal net price averages. Borrowing up to the $27,000 federal limit for dependent undergraduates uses the 2026-27 undergraduate rate of 6.52%, and anything above it uses the 9.07% Parent PLUS rate. Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 a year and $65,000 per student. See all federal student loan interest rates. Boston University's own net price calculator gives a personal figure, and College Aid Pro can compare costs across schools.
Data years: Earnings follow students who started college in 2011-12 and 2012-13, measured 10 years later. Net price and borrowing rates are for 2024-25. Graduation rates follow students who started in fall 2019. Median debt covers borrowers who left school in fiscal 2024 and 2025. Full-price shares are for 2022-23.
Work at Boston University? If a figure looks wrong, send us the source and our editors will review it.
Sources: Boston University Common Data Set 2025-2026. U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, data updated November 2, 2026. News from The College Investor.