Boston University
Boston University publishes 13% (Fall 2025 entering first-year class). Early Decision applicants got in at 31%; everyone else at 11%.
Acceptance rate
What Boston University's 13% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Boston University reports itself.
By application round
Fall 2025 entering first-year class (Boston University Common Data Set 2025-2026, section C1)
Read the full decomposition →Early Decision advantage
31% of 6,907 ED applicants were admitted (2,165), against 11% for everyone else.
Fall 2025 entering first-year class (Boston University Common Data Set 2025-2026, sections C1 & C21) · as of August 2026
See where Boston University ranks →Transfer
Fall 2024 degree-seeking transfer applicants (CDS 2024-2025, Section D2) · as of August 2026 · 3.1× easier than first-year
Read the transfer analysis →Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
BU states it is test-optional for first-year applicants 'applying through fall 2028 and spring 2029' entry — directly confirmed on bu.edu. The current 2026-27 application cycle (Fall 2027 entry) is comfortably covered; no reinstatement has been announced.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1420–1530sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 32–34
- Average HS GPA
- 3.7–4.0 (school-reported)Class of 2029 (Fall 2025 entering first-year class) · Source
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 2, 2026 (ED I); Jan 5, 2027 (ED II)
- Regular decision
- Jan 5, 2027Source
- Supplemental essays
- 1 required
One BU-specific supplemental essay is required in addition to the Common Application personal statement.
- AI use in essays
No Official Policy
We reviewed BU's first-year application pages, its Statement on Application Integrity, and both admissions FAQ pages — no guidance on applicant AI use appears on any of them.
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 18,248
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $68,102
- Category
- Elite Private
- Admissions site
- www.bu.edu
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Boston University test policy (2026-27)
- Boston University deadlines
- Boston University GPA (Class of 2029 (Fall 2025 entering first-year class))
- Boston University admissions pages
- Boston University admissions pages
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
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