Boston University: Acceptance Rates and Statistics

Boston University offers specialization in every course. The university received 61,006 applications for a 2024-25 freshmen class slot. Boston University’s popularity and status have risen. The Boston University acceptance rate has now become one-third of what it was just twelve years ago (18 percent vs. 58 percent ). 

Boston University features top-ranked academic programs in management, engineering, design, communications, drama school, education, and other areas. It is located in one of America’s most popular cities. Because of the massive increase of applicants in recent years, the average SAT has risen by more than 150 points since Barack Obama’s first inauguration.

With Boston University’s selectivity at a record, today’s applicants must bring significantly more to the bench than those selected a decade ago. This article will provide you with:

• An overview of Boston University acceptance rates and admission procedures.

• Data to assist you in determining your possibilities of admission with greater precision.

• The criteria of the admission committee at Boston University and tips on how to make your application stand out?

What is included in the article?

In this article following topics will be discussed to achieve these objectives:

• Boston University’s acceptance rate.
• Boston University’s ED acceptance rate.
• Historical Trends and Acceptance Rate Projections 2024
• Comparison criteria of Boston University
• SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Boston University applicants.
• Admissions trends.
• Details of Admission and Enrollment Rates
• Current Boston University undergraduates’ demographics
• Boston University’s yield rate
• How Boston University’s admission personnel evaluate candidates
• Tips for enrolling at Boston University
• Is the $80 application cost for Boston University worth it? (for you)

Let’s start by looking at the most recent admissions statistics.

Boston University: Overall Acceptance Rate 2024

Boston University admitted 18.9% of the 62,200 candidates that applied in the 2024-2025 admissions cycle in Fall 2020. These selected students will form a freshman class of 3,200 students. The data include both in-state and out-of-state candidates.

Accepted Students Score:

• Boston University ACT Score: 30 – 34
• Boston University Average GPA score: 3.75 – 3.96

Boston University Early Decision Acceptance Rate

Those who are genuine about entering Boston University should submit a formal early decision application. ED was used to accepting half of the universities’ recent first-year admissions. Early decision is offered in two rounds at this school: ED I in November and ED II in January. The Boston University acceptance rate is about 7% higher than the regular decision acceptance rate.

Historical Trends and Acceptance Rate Projections 2024

The percentage is calculated using the historical trend charts. These charts provide acceptance rates from past years. Over the last few years, Boston University’s total admission rate has declined.

Acceptance Rate Yearly Basis

• 2016-2017: 29.4%
• 2017-2018: 25.1%
• 2018-2019: 22.1%
• 2019-2020: 18.9%
• 2022-2023: 20.8%

Projected Boston University Acceptance Rate 2023-2024: 23.4%

Comparison criteria of Boston University

Boston University’s acceptance rate is about 100 percent lower than the national average of all universities, which is around 56.7 percent.

Similar Acceptance Rates at Nearby Colleges: 

COLLEGE	ACCEPTANCE RATE (in %)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	6.7
Northeastern University	18.1
Harvard University	4.6
Boston College	27.2
Tufts University	15.0

Boston University Applicants Accepted rates of SAT, GPA, ACT, and Class Rank

Those accepted into 2024-25 had an average high school class rank in the top 6%. With “A+/A” as their average grade and standardized tests in the middle 50% of the population of 1430-1540 SAT and 33-35 on the ACT. Others who registered in the university for the 2023-22 school year had SAT scores in the middle 50% range of 1340-1460 and an ACT range of 30-34. The average unweighted GPA was 3.76, and 66 percent of students were in the top 10% of their class.

Admission Trends in Boston University- The year 2024-25

• Because of COVID-19, Boston University has switched to a test-optional policy for the Class of 2022.
• 58 percent of students who accepted the Class of 2021-22 sent their test scores along with their application.
• The number of approved candidates has risen to 53 percent through early decisions, up from 50 percent in 2020 to 35 percent in 2018.
• The states contributing most of the students to Boston University are Massachusetts, New York, California, New Jersey, and Florida.
• 2024-25 is expected to have a 22 percent international student population.
• In the 2023-22 cycle, there was a 24% increase in submissions over the previous year.

Details of Admission and Enrollment Rates

Basic Admissions Recommendations and Requirements include –

• High-school GPA
• High-school class rankings
• A good school record 
• Preparation classes attended for college admission
• Recommendation letters (minimum one and maximum three)
• Scores on standardized tests (SAT, ACT, etc.)
• TOEFL for foreign language students.

Number of Applications, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

CATEGORY	TOTAL	MALE (in %)	FEMALE (in %)
Applications	62,224	41.3	58.7
Admission	11,786	41.7	58.3
Enrolled	3,156	41.4	58.6

Boston University Average SAT Scores -(Fall 2020)

SAT	SCORE RANGE
Critical Reading	650 – 720
Math	690 – 790
Total Score	1340 – 1510

Boston University Average ACT Scores -(Fall 2020)

SAT	SCORE RANGE
English	31 – 35
Math	27 – 33
Total Score	30 – 34

Current Boston University Undergraduate’s Demographics

Let’s take a look at the demographic location of undergraduates at Boston University:

• Students at Boston University represent all 50 states (such as Columbia, Guam, the American Samoa Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands).

• Students from more than 100 different countries throughout the world combine here.

• Boston University is one of the best universities in the United States for international students pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

There is tough competition among students from different states. These states ensure a never-ending supply of qualified applicants. Being an extremely selective university, students prepare very well to get admission. If you’re from a sparsely populated state like Hawaii or Montana, your geographic location is more likely to help you get in. At Boston University, at least one student from each state is accepted. Boston University does have a representative for each state.

Boston University’s Yield Rate

Last year, Boston University’s yield rate (percentage of accepted students who choose to register divided by the total number of admitted students) was very low, 24 percent. The reason is Boston University competes for almost the same group of students as the Ivy League and other elite universities.

How Boston University’s Admission Personnel Evaluate candidates

Boston University evaluates candidates on three major elements. The university considers these elements “extremely essential” in their admissions process: rigor of secondary school records, GPA, and talent/ability. Other than these three Class ranks, GPA, essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and personal characteristics are all deemed “essential.” This year, standardized test scores are just categorized as “considered,” as the institution is again making test-optional for the Class of 2024-25.

An applicant’s “talent/ability” is truly valued at Boston University. It brings great satisfaction to the university in pooling new freshmen from diverse fields. This fresh talent adds success outside the classrooms in various areas. 

Tips for enrolling at Boston University

Want to be one of the 62,000+ Boston University applicants for the upcoming admissions cycle. Then you should be aware of the following key elements:

• Boston University expects to see results of advanced education in high – school.
• Multiple advanced classes, especially in your area of intellectual interest, are required.
• Boston University does not conduct interviews. Therefore you must stand out on your Application System. Here supplementary essays, as well as the recommendations of your teachers and counselors, will ease your admission process.
• “Proven interest” is also “considered” in the admissions process at Boston University. As a result, you will be judged based on whether or not you visited the school (during non-pandemic times), contacted an admissions committee, and so on.

How do you know if the $80 application cost for Boston University is worth it?

Students with SAT scores below 1350 and a 3.75 GPA have to work like a “warrior” to achieve their goals. With acceptance rates of 18-19%, Boston University is only looking for students who scored 90th percentile or higher on standardized tests and mainly received A/ A+ grades in the high school curriculum. If Boston University is your goal, make sure you have a backup strategy in place. All students must make certain that they create an acceptable college list that includes both “goal” and “safety” colleges. It would help if you did this with the help of an admissions counselor.

Frequently asked questions 

1. How does Boston University evaluate candidates? 

Ans: Boston University evaluates candidates on three major elements. And these ‘extremely essential’ elements are: rigor of secondary school records, GPA, and talent/ability. Other than these three Class ranks, GPA, essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and personal characteristics are all deemed “essential.” 

2. What is Boston University’s Yield rate? 

Ans: Last year, Boston University’s yield rate was very low, 24 percent 

3. What are the admission trends in Boston University? 

Ans: The number of approved candidates has risen to 53 percent through early decisions, up from 50 percent in 2020 to 35 percent in 2018. The states contributing most of the students to Boston University are Massachusetts, New York, California, New Jersey, and Florida. 2024-225is expected to have a 22 percent international student population. 

4. SAT Score needed to get accepted into Boston University? 

Ans: Those who got accepted for 2024-25 had SAT Score between 1430 and 1540. It was between 1340 and 1460 for the year 2023-2022. 

5. SAT/ACT Score for Boston University? 

Ans: Students who got accepted in 2024-25 had SAT scores between 1430 and 1540 and ACT 33-35. It was between 1340-1460 for SAT and 30-34 for ACT for the year 2023-2024.