BU Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Boston University Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Boston University to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Boston University (BU)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. BU's acceptance rate is 11.11% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 78,769 students applied and 8,749 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is low, making it difficult to get into BU.

To apply to BU, recommendations and personal statement (or essay) are required to submit. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).

BU's acceptance rate is the 6th lowest among 64 Massachusetts colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1480 and the ACT score is 33 at BU. BU's SAT score is 10th highest among 41 Massachusetts colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
BU's yield rate is 37.35%, which is significantly lower by 11.82 percentage points (approximately 24.0% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 10% and 20% (average yield: 49.17%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to BU at colleges with acceptance rates between 10% and 20%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, BU's acceptance rate is 11.11% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 37.35%. 30,456 men and 44,822 women applied to BU and 3,492 men and 4,975 women students were accepted.

3,479 applicants who has another gender applied and 278 were accepted.4 accepted students' gender is unknown.

Among them, 1,267 men and 1,887 women were enrolled in BU. You can explore the BU's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at BU
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	78,769	30,456	44,822	3,479	12
Admitted	8,749	3,492	4,975	278	4
Enrolled	3,268	1,267	1,887	113	1
Acceptance Rate	11.11%	11.47%	11.10%	7.99%	33.33%
Yield	37.35%	36.28%	37.93%	40.65%	25.00%

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Boston University 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 1,083 students (33% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 330 students (10% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at BU.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,480, including 720 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 760 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 750 and the 25th percentile is 690. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 780 and the 25th percentile is 730.

The median ACT composite score is 33, with a 75th percentile score of 34 and a 25th percentile score of 32 at BU. The median ACT Math score is 32 and the median ACT English score is 35.

How competitive is BU's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Boston University are similar to the average score compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,497, ACT: 34 - private (not-for-profit) research university with very high research activity).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at BU
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,420	1,480	1,530
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	690	720	750
SAT Math	730	760	780
ACT Composite	32	33	34
ACT Math	29	32	35
ACT English	33	35	35

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Boston University 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School GPA, High School Record (or Transcript), Completion of College Preparatory Program, Recommendations, English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at BU. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Boston University.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

BU Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Required
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Required
Recommendations	Required
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Not Considered
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Not Considered
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Not Considered

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to BU:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Graduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: www.bu.edu/admissions
Online Application: www.bu.edu/admissions/apply
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: 1-Year Certificate, 2-Years Certificate, 2-4 Years Certificate, Bachelor, Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master, Post-Master Certificate, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)

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What is the acceptance rate at the BU?

BU is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 11.11%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to BU?

BU recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to BU is 1,480, and the average ACT score is 33. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does BU require essays or personal statements?

Yes, BU requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for BU admission?

Yes, BU requires applicants to submit a recommendation letter as part of the application.

Is there an application fee?

BU does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, BU requires applicants to submit high school GPA, high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, BU requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for BU?

The institutional SAT code for BU is 3087 and 4-digit ACT code is 1794.