Boston University: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Boston University is a private nonprofit college in Boston, MA. Students pay about $24,402 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $83,238 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 3.3 years and adds $244,522 over a decade, ranking it #66 of 918 (top 8%) by value added.
What is Boston University's acceptance rate?
Boston University has an acceptance rate of 11.1%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Boston, MA enrolling about 18,248 students, with a 89.3% graduation rate.
How much does Boston University cost?
Boston University costs about $24,402 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $120,858. Published sticker cost of attendance is $86,285 per year.
How much do Boston University graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Boston University student earns $83,238 per year. That is $36,538 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Boston University worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Boston University pays back its roughly $120,858 cost in about 3.3 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $244,522 net of cost, a 3.02x return on the money invested. That ranks it #66 of 918 (top 8%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Boston University graduation rate and student debt
89.3% of Boston University students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $23,250 in federal student debt. That debt is about 28% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Boston University by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Boston University compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $24,402 | $20,299 | cheaper than 33% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $83,238 | $54,768 | 92th |
| Graduation rate | 89.3% | 57.0% | 95th |
| Acceptance rate | 11.1% | 75.7% | more selective than 97% |
| 10-yr value added | $244,522 | -$28,192 | 93th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 3.02x | 0.73x | 91th |
| Payback period | 3.3 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 88% |
How Boston University compares with its nearest rivals
Boston University ranks #66 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 2 of them cost less per year and 3 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Boston University is a private nonprofit college in Boston, MA with 18,248 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $86,285 a year, but the average aided family pays $24,402, a 72% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $23,250, equal to 28% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Boston University: 11.1% of applicants are admitted.
- Amherst College (Amherst, MA; #80 of 918; 93.7% graduate) costs $1,035 less per year ($23,367 net), and its graduates earn $5,594 less ten years out ($77,644). Boston University adds $42,290 more ten-year value than Amherst College. Amherst College pays back its cost in 3.5 years.
- George Washington University (Washington, DC; #50 of 918; 84.5% graduate) costs $12,184 more per year ($36,586 net), and its graduates earn $7,635 more ten years out ($90,873). George Washington University adds $30,415 more ten-year value than Boston University. George Washington University pays back its cost in 3.8 years.
- Trinity College (Hartford, CT; #49 of 918; 83.3% graduate) costs $10,430 more per year ($34,832 net), and its graduates earn $7,541 more ten years out ($90,779). Trinity College adds $33,940 more ten-year value than Boston University. Trinity College pays back its cost in 3.7 years.
- University of Maryland-College Park (College Park, MD; #48 of 918; 88.6% graduate) costs $8,724 less per year ($15,678 net), and its graduates earn about the same ten years out ($82,860). University of Maryland-College Park adds $35,366 more ten-year value than Boston University. University of Maryland-College Park pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY; #47 of 918; 74.3% graduate) costs $5,903 more per year ($30,305 net), and its graduates earn $6,458 more ten years out ($89,696). Clarkson University adds $38,218 more ten-year value than Boston University. Clarkson University pays back its cost in 3.4 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarkson University | #47 | $30,305 | $89,696 | 74.3% | $282,740 |
| University of Maryland-College Park | #48 | $15,678 | $82,860 | 88.6% | $279,888 |
| Trinity College | #49 | $34,832 | $90,779 | 83.3% | $278,462 |
| George Washington University | #50 | $36,586 | $90,873 | 84.5% | $274,937 |
| Boston University | #66 | $24,402 | $83,238 | 89.3% | $244,522 |
| Amherst College | #80 | $23,367 | $77,644 | 93.7% | $202,232 |
Paying for Boston University
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Boston University worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Boston University ranks #66 of 918 (top 8%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 3.02x the money invested over a decade.
Is Boston University expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $24,402 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 33% of them.
Do Boston University graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $83,238 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 92% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Boston University compared to other colleges?
Its 11.1% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 97% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.