SCHOOLS / BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Common Data Set

Boston University

The Boston University Common Data Set is the yearly report the college publishes about itself. 9 reports on file, 2018–2025; the latest is 2025-26. Downloads include PDF, XLSX, and CSV.

In its 2025-26 report, Boston University says 76,776 first-year students applied and 9,853 were admitted, an acceptance rate of 13%. 3,449 admitted students enrolled (35% yield). Enrolled students who sent scores had a middle-50% SAT of 1420–1510 and ACT of 33–34. Early decision: 2,165 of 6,907 applicants admitted (31%). Compared with 2024-25, applications fell 2.5% (78,769 to 76,776), the acceptance rate went from 11% to 13%, and the early decision admit rate went from 28% to 31%.

The school's own page is the publisher. This page is the public copy, with the numbers next to the file.

What is a Common Data Set?

File date from the archived file's embedded modification date: Jul 1, 2026.

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BOSTON, MAIPEDS 164988CARNEGIE CLASS 15
§9 reports2018–2025
§ CDS archive · latest 3 shown
2025-26
Flat PDFOn the page
View fields →Download PDF
2024-25
Flat PDFOn the page
View fields →Download PDF
2023-24
Flat PDFOn the page
View fields →Download PDF
§ Academic profile

Where you'd land in this school's admitted class.

SAT compositeMiddle 50% of score submitters
25th1,420
Median1,470
75th1,510
§ 36% OF ADMITS SUBMITTED SAT SCORES · 2025-26 CDS · METHOD →
ACT compositeMiddle 50% of score submitters
25th33
Median34
75th34
§ 10% OF ADMITS SUBMITTED ACT SCORES · 2025-26 CDS · METHOD →
ADMIT RATE 13%SAT SUBMIT 36%ACT SUBMIT 10%

Add your GPA and test score to compare against this school's published CDS bands.

§ SOURCE: COMMON DATA SET 2025-26 · §C.7 §C.9 §C.11 §C.12ARCHIVED SOURCE →
§ Admission rounds

How the class gets assembled.

Early Decision offeredNo Early Action reportedSecond binding round indicated; ED rate is blended.
Likely ED share of class63%2,165 ED admits / 3,449 enrolled first-years
ED admit-rate multiple2.8x31% ED vs 11% all other rounds
Seats left after ED1,284of 3,449 enrolled first-year seats
All-other admit rate11%7,688 admitted from 69,869 applicants
§ Adjusted admission flow

Applicants, admits, and class seats use separate stage scales so Early Decision and all other rounds stay readable.

Each column is scaled within that stage. Labels show exact counts.

Early Decision
Applicants6,907reported count
Admits2,16531%
Class seats2,165assumes ED admits enroll
All other rounds
Applicants69,869reported count
Admits7,68811%
Class seats1,28417% estimated yield
Exact admission data
Admission flow data
PathApplicantsAdmittedAdmit rateClass seatsNote
Early Decision6,9072,16531%2,165Likely class seats assume ED admits enroll.
All other rounds69,8697,68811%1,284All other rounds are residual CDS totals, not exact Regular Decision.
Class-seat estimate assumes ED admits enroll. CDS does not report confirmed ED enrollment, so likely ED class seats are calculated as the smaller of ED admits and enrolled first-years.
Overall yield: 35%. Published yield blends high-commitment ED admits with the rest of the admitted pool.
Read the ED rate carefully. Published ED rates can include recruited athletes, legacy applicants, and institutional-priority applicants. The general-pool ED rate can be lower.
§ Wait list attrition

n/a joined after being offered a spot. n/a of students who joined were admitted.

Exact wait-list data
Wait-list data
MetricValue
Offered a wait-list spot16,135
Accepted a wait-list spot10,393
Admitted from wait listn/a
Joined after being offeredn/a
Admitted after joiningn/a

Wait-list outcomes can change sharply year to year.

§ Application cost

Application fee: $80. Fee waivers are reported as available.

§ Demonstrated interest

This school marks applicant interest as Considered. Read yield and wait-list behavior with that policy in mind.

§ SOURCE: COMMON DATA SET 2025-26 · §C.21 §C.22 §C.2 §C.7 §C.13METHOD →ARCHIVED SOURCE →
§ Merit and need aid

What this school reports giving.

Limited merit profileAcademic merit aid checked
No-need grant recipients116Average no-need grant reported; recipient count not reported
Avg no-need grant$42,227H2A first-year full-time students with no financial need
Avg net price$24,402Federal Scorecard, all aided students
§ Scope

CDS H2A counts students who had no financial need and received institutional non-need scholarship or grant aid, excluding athletic awards and tuition benefits.

§ International aid

Need-based aid for nonresidents: n/a. Non-need aid for nonresidents: n/a.

This is not a personalized price estimate. Merit awards are source-reported institutional facts. Your actual cost depends on income, assets, residency, application round, program, and school policy.
§ SOURCE: COMMON DATA SET 2025-26 · §H.2 §H.2A §H.6 §H.14METHOD →ARCHIVED SOURCE →
NCES/IPEDS baseline

Source-labeled federal facts

These values come from official NCES/IPEDS tables. They are not Common Data Set fields unless the source note says the alignment is direct or near.

Provisional 2024-25 release, data year 2024

Academics

Academics IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Student-faculty ratio10EF2024D.STUFACR

Admissions

Admissions IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Admissions total
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
8749ADM2024.ADMSSN
Admit rate11%DRVADM2024.DVADM01
Applicants total
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
78769ADM2024.APPLCN
Enrolled full time
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
3268ADM2024.ENRLFT
Enrolled total
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
3268ADM2024.ENRLT
Open admissions policyNoIC2024.OPENADMP
Yield rate37%DRVADM2024.DVADM04

Admissions testing

Admissions testing IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
ACT composite 25th percentile32ADM2024.ACTCM25
ACT composite 50th percentile33ADM2024.ACTCM50
ACT composite 75th percentile34ADM2024.ACTCM75
ACT submit rate10%ADM2024.ACTPCT
SAT EBRW 25th percentile690ADM2024.SATVR25
SAT EBRW 50th percentile720ADM2024.SATVR50
SAT EBRW 75th percentile750ADM2024.SATVR75
SAT math 25th percentile730ADM2024.SATMT25
SAT math 50th percentile760ADM2024.SATMT50
SAT math 75th percentile780ADM2024.SATMT75
SAT submit rate33%ADM2024.SATPCT

Completions

Completions IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Bachelor's degrees awarded4505DRVC2024.BASDEG
Doctor's degrees awarded630DRVC2024.DOCDEGRS
Master's degrees awarded6733DRVC2024.MASDEG

Costs

Costs IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
In-state required fees$1,432COST1_2024.FEE2
In-state tuition$66,670COST1_2024.TUITION2
Out-of-state required fees$1,432COST1_2024.FEE3
Out-of-state tuition$66,670COST1_2024.TUITION3
Total price, in-state on campus$90,207DRVCOST2024.CINSON
Total price, out-of-state on campus$90,207DRVCOST2024.COTSON

Endowment

Endowment IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Endowment net assets, beginning of fiscal year$3,138,326,000F2324_F2.F2H01
Endowment net assets, end of fiscal year$3,528,624,000F2324_F2.F2H02
Endowment net investment return$319,243,000F2324_F2.F2H03B
Endowment new gifts and additions$189,445,000F2324_F2.F2H03A
Endowment spending distribution for current use$-118,390,000F2324_F2.F2H03C
Other changes in endowment net assets$0F2324_F2.F2H03D

Enrollment

Enrollment IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Full-time undergraduate enrollment18285DRVEF2024.EFUGFT
Graduate enrollment18932DRVEF2024.EFGRAD
Part-time undergraduate enrollment520DRVEF2024.EFUGPT
Total enrollment37737DRVEF2024.ENRTOT
Undergraduate enrollment18805DRVEF2024.EFUG

Financial aid

Financial aid IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Any aid rate54%SFA2324.ANYAIDP
Average federal grant aid$8,268SFA2324.FGRNT_A
Average federal loan$10,796SFA2324.LOAN_A
Average Pell grant$6,031SFA2324.PGRNT_A
Federal grant aid rate21%SFA2324.FGRNT_P
Federal loan rate21%SFA2324.LOAN_P
Pell grant rate21%SFA2324.PGRNT_P

Identity

Identity IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
CityBostonHD2024.CITY
ControlPrivate not-for-profitHD2024.CONTROL
Degree-granting statusDegree-grantingHD2024.DEGGRANT
Highest level of offeringDoctor's degreeHD2024.HLOFFER
Institution levelFour or more yearsHD2024.ICLEVEL
Institution nameBoston UniversityHD2024.INSTNM
Institution size category20,000 and aboveHD2024.INSTSIZE
IPEDS sectorPrivate not-for-profit, 4-year or aboveHD2024.SECTOR
LocaleCity: LargeHD2024.LOCALE
StateMassachusettsHD2024.STABBR

Outcomes

Outcomes IPEDS baseline facts
FactValueSource
Bachelor graduation rate, 4 years75%DRVGR2024.GBA4RTT
Bachelor graduation rate, 5 years81%DRVGR2024.GBA5RTT
Bachelor graduation rate, 6 years89%DRVGR2024.GBA6RTT
Full-time retention rate95%EF2024D.RET_PCF
Graduation rate, 150% time89%DRVGR2024.GRRTTOT
Part-time retention rate100%EF2023D.RET_PCP
§ Federal outcomes

What federal data says

SRC · U.S. DEPT. OF ED., COLLEGE SCORECARD 2022-23.
OUTCOMES LAG THE CDS YEAR SHOWN ABOVE.
Median earnings
$83,238
10 yrs after enrollment
Graduation rate
89%
6-year completion
Average net price
$24,402
sticker minus grants
Median debt at grad.
$23,250
federal loans only
Nonpayment
4%
FSA · as-of late May 2026 · not the official cohort default rate

Nonpayment is the share of Direct Loan borrowers who entered repayment January 2020–May 2025 and were 90+ days delinquent at the FSA pull. It is not the official cohort default rate.

§ Earnings distribution

Ten years after enrollment, in 2022-23 dollars

P25
$56,723$57k
MEDIAN
$83,238$83k
P75
$122,012$122k
$20k
$40k
$60k
$80k
§H · Net price by family income

Average cost after grants

Scorecard · 2022-23
$0 – $30,000
$9,500
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,342
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,778
$75,001 – $110,000
← MODAL BRACKET$22,517
$110,001 and up
$47,504
§B · Completion and retention
4-yr grad
75%
6-yr grad
89%
8-yr grad
90%
Retention
95%
Pell grad
89%
Transfer
0%

Federal data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, vintage 2022-23. Outcomes reflect earlier cohorts than the CDS year shown elsewhere on this page.

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