Boston, MA
Highly competitive: fewer than 12 of every 100 applicants are accepted.
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey
The acceptance rate has fallen 8 percentage points since 2019, from 19% to 11% — it has become more selective.
| Fall | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 62,224 | 11,786 | 3,156 | 19% |
| 2020 | 61,007 | 12,254 | 2,914 | 20% |
| 2021 | 75,778 | 14,129 | 4,011 | 19% |
| 2022 | 80,796 | 11,607 | 3,635 | 14% |
| 2023 | 80,495 | 8,733 | 3,145 | 11% |
Fall 2023 applicants
4,827 of 48,314 women and 3,906 of 32,176 men were admitted.
Policy: Considered but not required
Reported by the institution to IPEDS
| Secondary school GPA | Required |
| Secondary school rank | Considered |
| Secondary school record | Required |
| Completion of college-preparatory program | Required |
| Recommendations | Required |
| Formal demonstration of competencies | Not considered |
| Admission test scores | Considered |
| English proficiency test | Required |
| Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | Not considered |
| Work experience | Considered |
| Personal statement or essay | Required |
| Legacy status | Not considered |
Undergraduate student body, not admitted applicants
Boston University has an acceptance rate of 11% for the fall 2023 entering class, admitting 8,733 of 80,495 applicants.
Very Selective. Highly competitive: fewer than 12 of every 100 applicants are accepted.
80,495 students applied for the fall 2023 entering class, and 3,145 enrolled.
No. Boston University is test-optional — scores are not required, but are considered if you submit them.
The acceptance rate has fallen 8 percentage points since 2019, from 19% to 11% — it has become more selective.