Boston University Acceptance Rates: A Comprehensive Guide
Gaining admission to Boston University (BU) is a competitive endeavor. If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. Understanding the nuances of BU's admission requirements, including acceptance rates, GPA expectations, and standardized testing policies, is crucial for prospective students. This article breaks down these factors to provide a comprehensive overview of what it takes to be admitted to BU.
Overall Selectivity: The Acceptance Rate
The acceptance rate at Boston University is 11.1%. This figure underscores the university's extremely selective nature, meaning that only a small fraction of applicants are admitted each year. Boston University is a major research university in Boston, Massachusetts and hosts a large number of international students each year, as it has an reputation for its medicine, business, and other majors around the world.
Academic Threshold: GPA Requirements
Meeting their GPA requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in and requires you to be at the top of your class. To compete effectively with other applicants, you'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes. The school seeks students with a GPA at or above the school average of 3.9. If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate.
Standardized Testing: SAT and ACT Scores
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Boston University hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Boston University will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students.
SAT Details
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. The 25th percentile SAT score is 1430, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1510. Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1510 SAT or a 34 ACT.
Read also: Gridiron Showdown: Missouri vs. Boston College
Superscoring
Boston University practices "superscoring." This is also known as "superscoring." This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. How does superscoring change your test strategy? Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Boston University will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Boston University forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1510, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on.
ACT Details
The average ACT score at Boston University is 33. The 25th percentile ACT score is 32, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 34. Even though Boston University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 32 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 34 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can.
ACT Superscoring Policy
In our research, we found that Boston University does in fact offer an ACT superscore policy. The Board does not superscore the ACT; however, if you send in scores from multiple test dates, the Board of Admissions will consider the scores from each of the subcategories, noting the highest scores achieved for each. Superscoring is powerful to your testing strategy, and you need to make sure you plan your testing accordingly. How does superscoring change your test strategy? Even though the highest ACT composite you scored on any one test date was 20, Boston University will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Boston University forms your Superscore, you can take the ACT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Therefore, if your ACT score is currently below a 34, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the ACT and retaking it. Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the ACT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on.
Optional Essay
Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Boston University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration.
Beyond Academics: A Holistic Review
For a school as selective as Boston University, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress Boston University application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation.
Read also: ACC Showdown: Virginia Tech Battles Boston College
Application Components
Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. Recommendation are considered important for admissions officials at Boston University.
Admissions Results for the 2022 Applying Class
The Boston University acceptance rate is 14.4%. Acceptance rate or admission rate may reflect how difficult a school is to get into, but it also may reflect the fact that a school receives a particularly high or low number of applicants.
Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
Boston University’s regular decision admission acceptance rate for the class applying 2021 was approximately 14.4% because it had an approximately 80,796 applicants and it accepted around 11,607 of them for its class. BU’s number of applicants has increased each year since at least the 2019-20 applying class. Boston University’s admissions rate continues to go down each year, meaning that it may have become increasingly selective.
Key Application Dates
The application deadline at Boston University is Jan. 5.
| Application Deadline | Jan. 5 |
| Early Decision Deadline | Nov. 15 |
| Regular Application Due | January 5 |
| Scores Received By | January 5 |
Diversity and Inclusion
Boston University students come from all walks of life and every corner of the globe. There is no single type of student at BU as our community includes students from different backgrounds and with a wide variety of life experiences. Diversity in every sense of the word is part of our DNA and it is the richness of our students’ experiences and backgrounds that make BU such a vibrant and dynamic campus community.
Read also: History of the BU Bridge
Other Boston-Area Universities
If you're interested in Boston University, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well.
Popular Boston Colleges
The Boston metropolitan area is home to more than 60 nonprofit four-year colleges and universities. Here are 10 of the most popular schools based on factors such as student enrollment, prestige, and overall reputation.
- Boston University: A private research university with a 19% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 36,104.
- Harvard University: Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard has a 4% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 31,345.
- Boston College: A private Jesuit university with a 19% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 15,577.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): A world-renowned tech school in Cambridge, MA, with a 4% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 11,934.
- Tufts University: A top research university with an 11% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 13,293.
- Northeastern University: A private research university with an 18% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 28,167.
- University of Massachusetts Boston: The city’s only public university, with a 79% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 15,637.
- Suffolk University: A private research university with an 88% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 6,647.
- Berklee College of Music: A private music college specializing in contemporary music, dance, and theater, with a 55% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 7,943.
- Bridgewater State University: A public university with an 86% acceptance rate and a total student enrollment of 9,942.
List of All Colleges in the Boston Area
The following table lists all four-year nonprofit colleges and universities in Boston, including Boston suburbs. We’ve included information on enrollment, net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants for each school using the latest NCES data.
| School | Total Student Enrollment | Avg. Annual Net Price | Acceptance Rate | Number of Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babson College | 3,684 | $29,105 | 25% | 7,104 |
| Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology | 476 | $18,143 | N/A | N/A |
| Bentley University | 5,158 | $41,708 | 61% | 9,311 |
| Berklee College of Music | 7,943 | $48,055 | 55% | 7,266 |
| Boston Architectural College | 728 | $27,887 | N/A | N/A |
| Boston Baptist College | 42 | $23,223 | 64% | 11 |
| Boston College | 15,577 | $30,159 | 19% | 39,846 |
| Boston University | 36,104 | $25,852 | 19% | 75,778 |
| Brandeis University | 5,558 | $35,147 | 39% | 9,796 |
| Bridgewater State University | 9,942 | $12,744 | 86% | 8,881 |
| Cambridge College | 2,451 | $27,166 | N/A | N/A |
| Curry College | 2,242 | $28,782 | 80% | 5,192 |
| Dean College | 1,206 | $35,827 | 74% | 4,924 |
| Eastern Nazarene College | 647 | $19,901 | 64% | 849 |
| Emerson College | 5,900 | $48,842 | 45% | 11,568 |
| Emmanuel College | 1,950 | $28,133 | 74% | 6,072 |
| Endicott College | 3,982 | $38,196 | 77% | 5,055 |
| Fisher College | 1,367 | $26,130 | 72% | 2,897 |
| Framingham State University | 4,495 | $16,900 | 84% | 5,117 |
| Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | 382 | $36,494 | 18% | 907 |
| Gordon College | 1,804 | $25,917 | 77% | 1,462 |
| Harvard University | 31,345 | $13,910 | 4% | 57,786 |
| Hebrew College | 133 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology | 118 | $26,548 | 76% | 74 |
| Hult International Business School | 2,214 | $48,780 | 51% | 1,495 |
| Laboure College of Healthcare | 1,038 | $33,180 | 75% | 4 |
| Lasell University | 1,695 | $29,401 | 85% | 2,550 |
| Lesley University | 4,010 | $31,928 | 87% | 2,942 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 1,907 | $24,772 | 79% | 2,433 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 11,934 | $30,958 | 4% | 33,240 |
| MCPHS University | 7,304 | $38,390 | 98% | 4,486 |
| Merrimack College | 5,452 | $35,500 | 80% | 10,429 |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | 1,339 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Montserrat College of Art | 341 | $33,430 | N/A | N/A |
| New England College of Optometry | 525 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Northeastern University | 28,167 | $38,927 | 18% | 75,244 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | 10,918 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Northpoint Bible College | 250 | $24,502 | N/A | N/A |
| Regis College | 3,599 | $35,775 | 89% | 2,678 |
| Saint John’s Seminary | 96 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Salem State University | 7,131 | $18,125 | 90% | 6,287 |
| Simmons University | 5,984 | $19,026 | 84% | 3,516 |
| Stonehill College | 2,479 | $31,467 | 72% | 7219 |
| Suffolk University | 6,647 | $32,393 | 88% | 7,501 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | 827 | $38,409 | 43% | 952 |
| Tufts University | 13,293 | $31,630 | 11% | 31,198 |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 15,637 | $17,575 | 79% | 16,383 |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | 17,597 | $13,227 | 85% | 12,493 |
| Wellesley College | 2,461 | $21,862 | 16% | 7,663 |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | 4,163 | $32,430 | 90% | 5,441 |
| Wheaton College | 1,701 | $28,867 | 82% | 3,724 |
| William James College | 854 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
tags: #boston #university #acceptance #rates #by #college
