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
83%
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
83%
4-year grad rate
90%
6-year grad rate
The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $60,317. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.
$60,317
$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
Economics, General
Psychology, General
International Relations and Affairs
114
226.8
339.6
452.4
565.2
678
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Architectural History and Criticism, General 14
- Architectural History and Criticism, General 3
Area
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 4
- Asian Studies/Civilization 2
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 2
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 1
- European Studies/Civilization 1
- Latin American Studies 1
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
- East Asian Studies 0
- Latin American Studies 0
- Italian Studies 0
- Area Studies, Other 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Neuroscience 140
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 114
- Physiology, General 109
- Molecular Biology 91
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 59
- Conservation Biology 14
- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 11
- Neuroscience 7
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 4
- Molecular Biology 1
- Conservation Biology 1
- Environmental Biology 0
Business
- Business Administration and Management, General 678
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General 64
- Hospitality Administration/Management, Other 8
Communication
- Radio and Television 195
- Advertising 140
- Communication and Media Studies 129
- Communication, General 129
- Public Relations/Image Management 129
- Journalism 104
- Radio and Television 8
- Journalism 6
- Communication and Media Studies 5
- Communication, General 5
- Advertising 5
- Public Relations/Image Management 2
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 280
- Computer Science 14
Education
- Elementary Education and Teaching 13
- Special Education and Teaching, General 8
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 8
- Social Studies Teacher Education 8
- Music Teacher Education 7
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education 4
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 4
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education 3
- Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness 3
- Mathematics Teacher Education 2
- Foreign Language Teacher Education 1
- Education, General 0
- Art Teacher Education 0
- Education, Other 0
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 149
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 126
- Computer Engineering, General 119
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 47
- Computer Engineering, General 3
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 3
- Engineering Physics/Applied Physics 1
- Engineering, General 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- English Language and Literature, General 56
- English Language and Literature, General 6
Foreign Languages
- Linguistics 23
- Linguistics 5
- Chinese Language and Literature 5
- Spanish Language and Literature 5
- Japanese Language and Literature 4
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other 2
- Chinese Language and Literature 2
- Japanese Language and Literature 2
- French Language and Literature 2
- French Language and Literature 2
- Spanish Language and Literature 2
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
- Comparative Literature 1
- Comparative Literature 1
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 1
- Russian Language and Literature 1
- Russian Language and Literature 1
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 1
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 1
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 1
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
- Latin Language and Literature 1
- German Language and Literature 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 179
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 179
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 179
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 41
- Rehabilitation Science 33
- Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies 31
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 14
- Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician 5
- Pre-Dentistry Studies 1
- Athletic Training/Trainer 0
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other 0
History
- History, General 41
- History, General 6
Homeland Security
- Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 6
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 121
- Mathematics, General 14
- Computational Mathematics 12
- Computational Mathematics 1
- Financial Mathematics 0
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 60
- Mathematical Economics 42
- Nutrition Sciences 24
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 5
- Ancient Studies/Civilization 1
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 23
- Environmental Science 2
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 44
- Philosophy 12
- Religion/Religious Studies 2
- Religion/Religious Studies 1
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 26
- Physics, General 22
- Astronomy 5
- Chemistry, Other 5
- Chemistry, General 2
- Geology/Earth Science, General 0
- Geophysics and Seismology 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 253
- Psychology, General 23
- Counseling Psychology 1
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Youth Services/Administration 4
Social Sciences
- Economics, General 264
- International Relations and Affairs 208
- Political Science and Government, General 131
- Economics, General 41
- Sociology, General 33
- Social Sciences, Other 26
- International Relations and Affairs 25
- Political Science and Government, General 25
- Anthropology, General 15
- Archeology 9
- Sociology, General 5
- Anthropology, General 2
- Social Sciences, Other 2
- Medical Anthropology 1
- Cultural Anthropology 1
- Archeology 1
- Urban Studies/Affairs 1
- Geography 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Graphic Design 23
- Acting 23
- Music Performance, General 23
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 18
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 15
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 12
- Painting 12
- Music, General 12
- Directing and Theatrical Production 6
- Sculpture 3
- Music Performance, General 3
- Graphic Design 2
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies 2
- Music Theory and Composition 2
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 1
- Art/Art Studies, General 1
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 1
- Painting 1
- Printmaking 1
- Printmaking 1
- Musicology and Ethnomusicology 0
- Keyboard Instruments 0
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