BU vs. Tufts vs. BC vs. Northeastern

Should I go to Boston University or Tufts University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BU or Tufts is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Boston University vs. Tufts University vs. Boston College vs. Northeastern University comparison
Boston University Tufts University Boston College Northeastern University
Boston University Tufts University Boston College Northeastern University
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Overview

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
Location Boston, MA Medford, MA Chestnut Hill, MA Boston, MA
Setting Large City Large Suburban Small City Large City
Enrollment 36,624 13,274 15,280 31,159
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #77 #33 #50 #132
Religious Affiliation - - Roman Catholic -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website bu.edu tufts.edu bc.edu northeastern.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
Tuition (In State) $63,798 $66,358 $66,410 $62,000
Tuition (Out of State) $63,798 $66,358 $66,410 $62,000
Room & Board $18,110 $17,660 $18,475 $18,790
Avg Net Price $27,551 $33,333 $32,590 $34,770
Avg Grant Aid $55,080 $51,267 $51,099 $46,558
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 41% 43% 73%

Admission

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
Applied 80,495 34,003 36,069 96,631
Admitted 8,733 3,444 5,645 5,459
Acceptance Rate 10.8% 10.1% 15.7% 15.1%
Enrolled % 36% 50.5% 41.4% 48.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.79 3.91 3.86 3.91
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Very High Very High Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 33/35 33/34 33/35
SAT Range 1400/1520 1460/1550 1430/1540 1460/1550
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 4, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 10:1 13:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Social Sciences (31%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Business (29%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
Graduation Rate 85% 90% 91% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $72,000 $83,100 $90,900 $69,500
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 91% 90% 79%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $18,000 $19,000 $27,875
Median Loan Payment $279 $186 $196 $288

Diversity

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
% Men 21% 18% 14% 26%
% Women 28% 30% 20% 23%
Racial Diversity Very High High Medium Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 43% 58% 62% 48%
% Black 4% 4% 4% 4%
% Hispanic 11% 6% 10% 7%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4% 3% 4%
% International 20% 9% 6% 20%
% Unknown Race 5% 7% 6% 6%

Students

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
% In-State 14% 22% 21% 21%
% Out-of-State 61% 64% 71% 66%

Campus

 BU Tufts BC Northeastern
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No No Yes
Daycare Facility No No Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Boston University is larger than than Tufts based on total student enrollment (36,624 students vs. 13,274 students)

BU vs. Tufts Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BU or Tufts?

  • Tufts University is 4% more expensive to attend than BU for in-state tuition ($66,358.00 vs. $63,798.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4% higher at Tufts than Boston University ($66,358.00 vs. $63,798.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Boston University than Tufts ($27,551 vs. $33,333)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Tufts University are 2.5% lower than costs at Boston University ($17,660 vs. $18,110)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Boston University than Tufts University (50% vs. 41%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston University students is 7.4% larger than aid received Tufts University ($55,080 vs. $51,267)

BU vs. Tufts Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BU or Tufts? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Tufts or BU .

  • The average SAT score at Tufts University (1424) is 121 points higher than at BU (1303)
  • Incoming Tufts students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at BU (29)
  • Accepted freshman Tufts students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at BU (3.79)
  • BU has a higher acceptance rate (10.8%) than Tufts (10.1%)

BU vs. Tufts Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BU or Tufts? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Tufts and BU.

  • The graduation rate at Tufts is higher than Boston University (90% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Tufts University earn on average $11,100 more per year than BU graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $72,000)
  • Tufts University students graduate with a $9,000 lower median federal student loan debt than BU graduates. ($18,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Tufts graduates are paying $93 less per month on federal student loans than BU graduates. ($186 vs. $279)
  • More Tufts graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BU students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 82%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/