BU Admission Requirements
Acceptance Rate
| Measure | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|
| Admission Standards | Exceptional | |
| Applicant Competition | High |
Can I get into BU? The school has a 25% acceptance rate. Last year, 15,273 out of 60,825 applicants were admitted making BU a highly competitive school to get into with a lesser chance of acceptance for qualifying applicants. Academically, it has extremely high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 8 percent. Boston University typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students. Only 23% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class.
25% are accepted,
can you get in?
SAT Requirements
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 25th | 670 |
| SAT Math 25th | 690 |
| SAT Composite 25th | 1360 |
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 75th | 730 |
| SAT Math 75th | 780 |
| SAT Composite 75th | 1510 |
| Estimated Average SAT | 1440 |
SAT Scores you need to get in
What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Boston University?
Boston University typically requires applicants to be in the top 7 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1360 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1280. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1440 out of 1600. A competitive SAT score is critical as 63 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.
Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score
| SAT Score (1600 scale) | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 1510 and Above | Good | >36% |
| 1435 to 1510 | Avg + | 25%-36% |
| 1360 to 1435 | Avg - | 16%-25% |
| 1285 to 1360 | Reach | 10%-16% |
| Less than 1285 | Low | <10% |
ACT Requirements
| ACT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 25th | 28 |
| ACT Math 25th | 27 |
| ACT Composite 25th | 29 |
| ACT Test | 75th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 75th | 34 |
| ACT Math 75th | 32 |
| ACT Composite 75th | 32 |
| Estimated Average ACT | 30 |
ACT Scores needed to get accepted
What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into BU?
Admission data indicates that BU regularly accepts students with ACT's of 29 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 9 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 28 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 30 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 32 and above have very competitive chances. 52 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Boston University.
Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score
| ACT Score | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 32 and Above | Good | >40% |
| 30 to 32 | Avg + | 25%-40% |
| 29 to 30 | Avg - | 19%-25% |
| 28 to 29 | Reach | 14%-19% |
| Less than 28 | Low | <14% |
Estimated GPA Requirements
You will need very good grades in high school to get into Boston University. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Boston University was 3.59 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. Even with a competitive GPA, admission to BU will be challenging as the school denies more applicants than it admits.
| High School GPA | Freshmen Within Range | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 3.75+ | 32% | Good |
| 3.50 to 3.75 | 38% | Avg + |
| 3.25 to 3.50 | 18% | Avg - |
| 3.00 to 3.25 | 12% | Reach |
| 2.75 to 3.00 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.50 to 2.75 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.25 to 2.50 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.00 to 2.25 | N/A% | Low |
High School Class Rank
58% of Boston University freshman were in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class.
| High School Class Rank | Freshmen Within Range |
|---|---|
| Top 10% of class | 58% |
| Top 25% of class | 89% |
| Top 50% of class | 99% |
| Bottom 50% of class | 1% |
| Bottom 25% of class | 0% |
Admission Statistics
| Women | Men | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 35,622 | 25,203 | 60,825 |
| Accepted | 9,147 | 6,126 | 15,273 |
| Acceptance Rate | 26% | 24% | 25% |
| Enrolled | 2,054 | 1,444 | 3,498 |
| Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) | 22% | 24% | 23% |
Fall 2019 Application Deadline
The application deadline for Fall 2019 has passed. Applications were due on Jan 1, 2019.
Admission Requirements
What are the requirements for admission to Boston University and what considerations affect admission decisions?
| Test Scores | Required |
| High School GPA | Required |
| High School Class Rank | Required |
| Completion of College Preparatory Program | Required |
| Recommendations | Required |
| Demonstration of Competencies | Required |
Credits Accepted
| AP Credit | Yes |
| Dual Credit | No |
| Credit for Life Experiences | No |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=164988 IPEDS survey data for Boston University.
