Boston University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Boston University, a private college in Massachusetts, reports a 11% acceptance rate and sits in the highly selective band. In practice that means it turns away most applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Boston University weighs, where it ranks among Massachusetts schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1500, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What are my chances of getting into Boston University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1480 SAT?
For a student with a 3.9 GPA and a 1480 SAT, the CollegeCalcAI model estimates about a 19% chance at Boston University (reach), an estimate from federal admissions data, not a guarantee. Boston University admitted 8,733 of 80,495 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 11.1%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1420 to 1530 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 29, 2026.
Boston University application deadlines, 2026-27
What do students study at Boston University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Boston University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Boston University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Boston University?
Your odds at Boston University are not the same as its 11% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Boston University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Boston University hard to get into?
Boston University is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 11% acceptance rate. Strong academics are expected here, so the rest of your profile usually decides the outcome.
What GPA do you need to get into Boston University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Boston University, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Boston University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Boston University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Boston University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Boston University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1480 SAT?
About 20% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1480 SAT, the middle of Boston University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1530 SAT comes out near 23%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/boston-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Boston University
From Boston University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Boston University?
31.3%. Boston University admitted 2,165 of 6,907 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 12.8% of all 76,776 first-year applicants (Boston University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Boston University?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 31.3% versus about 11% for everyone who applied another way, 2.8x the rate, and Early Decision filled 22% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Boston University is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
How many students get off the waitlist at Boston University?
95 for fall 2025. Boston University offered 15,751 applicants a waitlist spot, 9,448 accepted one, and 95 were admitted from it: 1% of those who stayed on (Boston University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Boston University?
35.7%: 2,416 of 6,761 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Boston University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Boston University Common Data Set 2025-26. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Boston University
Built from Boston University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Boston University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Boston University carries about a 3.88 core GPA and a 1480 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1420 to 1530 SAT (32 to 34 ACT). Submit a score at 1475 or higher; below 1420, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Boston University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Boston University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Boston University's exact dates at www.bu.edu.
How many students apply to Boston University, and how many get in?
Boston University admitted 8,733 of the 80,495 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 10.8%. 3,145 enrolled. Roughly 36% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Boston University enrolls about 18,248 undergraduates in total, 58% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Boston University?
Admitted students at Boston University post SAT scores of 1420 to 1530 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1480. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 32 to 34. A score above 1530 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1420 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Boston University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Boston University looks for
What Boston University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Boston University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Boston University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Boston University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Boston University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Boston University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $86,285 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $68,102. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $24,402 a year, and it ranges from $9,500 for families earning under $30,000 to $47,504 for families earning over $110,000. 19% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Boston University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Boston University students ten years after entry are $83,238 ($65,655 at the six-year mark). 89% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 95% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $23,250; 23% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Boston University compares in Massachusetts
Boston University ranks #6 most selective of 36 schools in Massachusetts in our database.
Among the 36 Massachusetts schools we track, Boston University ranks #6 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Harvard University (4%) and Northeastern University (5%) sit nearby, which makes Massachusetts a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Boston University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Boston University often weigh University of Notre Dame, Emory University, and Middlebury College, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Boston University's acceptance rate?
Boston University admitted 8,733 of 80,495 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 10.8% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 36% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Boston University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1420 to 1530 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT. A score above 1530 is in the top quarter of admits. Boston University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Boston University test-optional?
Yes. Boston University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Boston University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Boston University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $24,402 a year against a sticker price of about $86,285. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $9,500 on average.
What do Boston University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Boston University are $83,238 a year among students who received federal aid, and 89% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Boston University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Boston University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Boston University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Boston University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Boston University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Boston University specifically.
What makes an application stand out at Boston University?
Beyond strong academics, Boston University rewards a clear, specific story: focused activities with real impact, essays in an authentic voice, and recommendations that corroborate it. Depth beats a long list of unrelated activities.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.