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Boston University
Admissions

Interested in attending Boston University?

On this page, you'll learn how difficult it is to get into Boston University, we'll dig into high school grades and test scores, and you'll find out the factors the school considers when reviewing applications.

11
%
Acceptance rate
3.87
Average High School GPA
1456
SAT Midpoint
January 6
Regular admission deadline
Test Optional
Testing

Admission Rates

Is it difficult to get into Boston University?

11%

Using the most up-to-date data on record, Boston University accepted 11% of applicants. We classify this as very selective.

In the most recent year, 80,490 people applied and 8,733 were accepted.

Applied/Accepted
Women
4827 / 48314 (10%)
Men
3906 / 32176 (12%)

Acceptance rates at colleges can change over time, with some becoming more competitive and others accepting more students. Here’s a look at the acceptance rate trend for the past 3 years at Boston University:

100%
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
2022
2023
2024

Acceptance rates at schools can vary depending on if the student is in-state, out-of-state, or international.

36%
Enrollment of those accepted
High
Yield rate

Of those accepted, 36% ended up enrolling at Boston University, making their yield rate High. The yield rate is the percentage of accepted students who enroll at the school. You can use the yield rate to find out how coveted a school is for the students who apply to it.

Application Factors

You can increase your chances of getting into Boston University by looking at what the school considers during the application process.

Here are the things Boston University considers:

Very Important

  • Academic GPA
  • Rigor of Secondary School Record
  • Talent/Ability

Important

  • Application Essay
  • Character/Personal Qualities
  • Class Rank
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Recommendation(s)

Considered

  • Alumni/AE Relation
  • First Generation
  • Geographical Residence
  • Level of Applicant's Interest
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • State Residency
  • Volunteer Work
  • Work Experience

Not Considered

  • Interview
  • Religious Affiliation/Commitment

Grades & Testing

Do you have the grades and test scores to get into Boston University?

3.87
Average High School GPA
1456
SAT Midpoint
Test Optional
Testing

Grades

Students who recently attended Boston University as freshmen had an average unweighted high school GPA of 3.87. 86% of freshmen who attended Boston University were in the top 10% of their graduating high school class, and 98% were in the top 25% of their graduating high school class.

These are the high school grade point averages (unweighted) of students who enroll:

High School GPAs
4.00
39%
3.75-3.99
39%
3.50-3.74
22%

Boston University is Test Optional. This means scores are considered if they are submitted, but applicants do not need to submit scores.

Applicants submitting SAT Scores

28%

Applicants submitting ACT Scores

10%
SAT Math Scores
25th Percentile
710
Math Mean
745
75th Percentile
780
SAT Verb Scores
25th Percentile
680
Verbal Mean
711
75th Percentile
740
SAT Composite Scores
25th Percentile
1410
Composite Mean
1456
75th Percentile
1500

Application Deadlines

These are the deadlines for applying to Boston University. Application deadlines are subject to change, so please verify all deadlines with the school.

Regular Admissions

January 6
Regular admission deadline
April 1
Application notification

Early Decision

Early Decision is a program in which students commit to attend a school if they are accepted. Some schools have a higher acceptance rate for Early Decision than regular decision. Boston University's Early Decision acceptance rate is 26%, compared to 11% overall. If you’re sure you want to attend Boston University, you might consider applying Early Decision.

November 1
Applications Due
December 15
Notification Date
26%
Early Decision Acceptance Rate

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