Boston University

One Silber Way, Boston

  • #108 QS Global World Ranking
  • PrivateStatus
  • Very HighResearch Output
  • 27,938Total Students
  • 2,707Faculty
  • 9,407Int'l Students

About

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One of the largest private universities in the country, Boston University educates approximately 16,000 undergraduate students each year. Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach in 250 programs of study at 17 schools and colleges.

In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked BU 37th in the nation and 39th among global universities. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the average class size is 27.
BU is a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. It’s not unusual to find undergraduates in the cutting-edge labs and work spaces of prominent researchers tackling life-changing challenges.

Recognized around the world, the University fields applications for admission from students representing over 150 countries. By the same token, thousands of Terriers get their passports stamped every year for study, research, and internships on all seven continents. Once they graduate, BU students are among the most employable in the country and the world—5th and 6th, respectively, according to Times Higher Education.
BU is implementing a University-wide general education curriculum called the BU Hub, which ensures every graduate will possess the essential knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to think deeply, generate new ideas, and put them into action, particularly within the context of a hyper-fast, globally connected world.

On campus, daily life is a swirl of languages, faces, and religions, with 450+ student clubs, countless shows and lectures, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a slew of pubs and restaurants, and 22 varsity athletic teams, including the thrills and spills of Terrier hockey.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

About

One of the largest private universities in the country, Boston University educates approximately 16,000 undergraduate students each year. Nearly 3,900 faculty members teach in 250 programs of study at 17 schools and colleges.

In 2018, U.S. News & World Report ranked BU 37th in the nation and 39th among global universities. The faculty features a Pulitzer Prize winner, a MacArthur fellow, a former US Poet Laureate, and dozens of Guggenheim fellows. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the average class size is 27.
BU is a member of the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of North America’s most prestigious research universities. One of only four Boston-area members, BU boasts particular interdisciplinary breadth and depth of excellence in cloud computing and cyber security; engineering biology; infectious diseases; neuroscience; photonics; urban policy; education; and the humanities. It’s not unusual to find undergraduates in the cutting-edge labs and work spaces of prominent researchers tackling life-changing challenges.

Recognized around the world, the University fields applications for admission from students representing over 150 countries. By the same token, thousands of Terriers get their passports stamped every year for study, research, and internships on all seven continents. Once they graduate, BU students are among the most employable in the country and the world—5th and 6th, respectively, according to Times Higher Education.
BU is implementing a University-wide general education curriculum called the BU Hub, which ensures every graduate will possess the essential knowledge, skills, and habits of mind needed to think deeply, generate new ideas, and put them into action, particularly within the context of a hyper-fast, globally connected world.

On campus, daily life is a swirl of languages, faces, and religions, with 450+ student clubs, countless shows and lectures, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a slew of pubs and restaurants, and 22 varsity athletic teams, including the thrills and spills of Terrier hockey.

The University is nestled in the heart of Boston, a hotbed of high tech and biomedicine, and the birthplace of American history, serving as an extended classroom for students, offering study, internships, and professional opportunities with some of the world’s most influential leaders in fields from art to finance to biotech. It’s no wonder BU is called “Boston’s university.”

University highlights

QS World University Ranking

  • 2012
    #64
  • 2014
    #=79
  • 2015
    #78
  • 2016
    #91
  • 2017
    #89
  • 2018
    #81
  • 2019
    #=93
  • 2020
    #=98
  • 2021
    #=110
  • 2022
    #=112
  • 2023
    #108
  • 2024
    #=93
  • 2025
    #108

Student & Staff

Total students
27,938

37%
63%

International students
9,407

50%
50%

Total faculty staff
2,707

524
2183

Total students
27,938

37%
63%

International students
9,407

50%
50%

Total faculty staff
2,707

2183
524
QS Stars is a rating system that helps you select the right university based on your interests. It provides a detailed look at an institution, identifying which universities rate highest in the specific topics that matter to you, like facilities, graduate employability, social responsibility, inclusiveness, and more.

Scholarships

Yes
The Scholarships above offer some form of financial aid to prospective students. Please always check the specific requirements and restrictions on scholarship availability.

Campus locations

Charles River Campus,

One Silber Way , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 02215

Medical Campus,

715 Albany Street No. 437 , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 02118

725 Commonwealth Avenue,

725 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

855 Commonwealth Avenue,

855 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

635 Commonwealth Avenue,

635 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

640 Commonwealth Avenue,

640 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

715 Albany Street Talbot Building,

715 Albany Street Talbot Building , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2118

808 Commonwealth Avenue,

808 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

236 Bay State Road,

236 Bay State Road , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

226 Bay State Road,

226 Bay State Road , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

745 Commonwealth Avenue,

745 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

270 Bay State Road,

270 Bay State Road , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

100 East Newton Street G-305,

100 East Newton Street G-305 , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2118

Two Sherborn Street,

Two Sherborn Street , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2215

715 Albany Street L-804,

715 Albany Street L-804 , Boston , Massachusetts , United States , 2118

+ 12 More Locations

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English language requirements

Boston University EN