Boston University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Boston University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
10:1
Student to faculty ratio
27
Average class size
81%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
Boston University has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
506
10-19
1,188
20-29
357
30-39
249
40-49
196
50-99
235
100+
135
Honors Programs
Boston University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on Boston University's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Boston University:
95%
First-year retention rate
81%
4-year grad rate
89%
6-year grad rate
The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $67,597. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$67,597
$48,300 (National Average)
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Boston University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Business Administration and Management, General
Computer Science
Psychology, General
Economics, General
Radio and Television
60.2
190.76
321.32
451.88
582.44
713
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Architectural History and Criticism, General 17
- Architectural History and Criticism, General 3
Area
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 3
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
- Latin American Studies 1
- European Studies/Civilization 1
- Asian Studies/Civilization 1
- Italian Studies 0
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 0
- Latin American Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 169
- Neuroscience 122
- Physiology, General 109
- Molecular Biology 69
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 53
- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 25
- Conservation Biology 17
- Neuroscience 9
- Biochemistry 5
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 4
- Molecular Biology 1
- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 1
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1
- Environmental Biology 0
Business
- Business Administration and Management, General 713
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General 43
- Hospitality Administration/Management, Other 12
Communication
- Radio and Television 169
- Advertising 165
- Public Relations/Image Management 126
- Journalism 88
- Communication, General 50
- Communication and Media Studies 50
- Advertising 6
- Radio and Television 5
- Public Relations/Image Management 4
- Journalism 2
- Communication, General 1
- Communication and Media Studies 1
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 328
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 33
- Computer Science 23
Education
- Education, General 27
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 8
- Elementary Education and Teaching 7
- Special Education and Teaching, General 7
- Music Teacher Education 4
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education 3
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 2
- Social Studies Teacher Education 1
- Mathematics Teacher Education 1
- Art Teacher Education 1
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education 1
- Education, General 1
- Foreign Language Teacher Education 0
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness 0
- Education, Other 0
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 130
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 121
- Computer Engineering, General 70
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 28
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 5
- Computer Engineering, General 2
- Mechanical Engineering 2
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 2
- Engineering, General 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 43
- English Language and Literature, General 2
Foreign Languages
- Linguistics 18
- Chinese Language and Literature 3
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other 3
- Spanish Language and Literature 3
- Spanish Language and Literature 2
- Chinese Language and Literature 1
- Comparative Literature 1
- Japanese Language and Literature 1
- Japanese Language and Literature 1
- Linguistics 1
- French Language and Literature 1
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
- German Language and Literature 0
- Latin Language and Literature 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
- Russian Language and Literature 0
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 138
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 138
- HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 138
- Rehabilitation Science 36
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 27
- Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 20
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 12
- Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician 3
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other 0
- Pre-Dentistry Studies 0
- Athletic Training/Trainer 0
History
- History, General 36
- History, General 8
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 3
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 84
- Computational Mathematics 26
- Mathematics, General 13
- Financial Mathematics 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Mathematical Economics 51
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 21
- Nutrition Sciences 18
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 6
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 5
- Economics and Computer Science 3
- Geoarcheaology 2
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 1
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 31
- Environmental Science 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 56
- Philosophy 11
- Religion/Religious Studies 4
- Religion/Religious Studies 3
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 22
- Physics, General 20
- Astronomy 15
- Chemistry, Other 3
- Physical Sciences, General 2
- Physics, General 2
- Geology/Earth Science, General 0
- Geophysics and Seismology 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 313
- Psychology, General 35
- Counseling Psychology 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Youth Services/Administration 1
Social Sciences
- Economics, General 237
- International Relations and Affairs 142
- Political Science and Government, General 114
- Sociology, General 42
- Social Sciences, Other 32
- Economics, General 27
- Political Science and Government, General 17
- International Relations and Affairs 14
- Cultural Anthropology 7
- Archeology 6
- Archeology 5
- Physical and Biological Anthropology 5
- Sociology, General 3
- Medical Anthropology 3
- Anthropology, General 1
- Social Sciences, Other 1
- Cultural Anthropology 1
- Urban Studies/Affairs 0
- Geography 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Graphic Design 24
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 22
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 20
- Acting 19
- Music Performance, General 18
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 13
- Music, General 11
- Painting 8
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies 6
- Directing and Theatrical Production 6
- Art/Art Studies, General 4
- Music Theory and Composition 3
- Printmaking 1
- Printmaking 1
- Music Performance, General 1
- Sculpture 1
- Musicology and Ethnomusicology 0
- Keyboard Instruments 0
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 0
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