Admissions Factors
What Boston University Looks For
Boston University rates 2 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses and academic GPA.
How Boston University rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
12.8%
9,853 of 76,776 applicants
Early decision admit rate
31.3%
Early decision admits equal 63% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
1%
95 of 9,448 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.86. 86% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Boston University look for in applicants?
Boston University rates 2 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses and academic GPA.
Does Boston University consider legacy status?
Boston University rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Boston University track demonstrated interest?
Boston University rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".
What is Boston University's waitlist acceptance rate?
9,448 students stayed on the waitlist and 95 were admitted, a rate of 1%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Boston University's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 2,165 of 6,907 applicants were admitted (31.3%), against 12.8% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Boston University’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
