Quad
Boston UniversityBoston, MA · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (15% of graduates). 10 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 76% of colleges. 70% of faculty are full-time. Spends $35,988 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

5,291 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 38% of graduates; 103 programs in 21 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Business Administration and Management, General 52.020115% 812
    Graduates in this field earn $108,412 4 years out
  2. Computer Science 11.07018.3% 440
    Graduates in this field earn $136,667 4 years out
  3. Psychology, General 42.01015.1% 269
    Graduates in this field earn $63,838 4 years out
  4. Economics, General 45.06015.0% 267
    Graduates in this field earn $96,723 4 years out
  5. Radio and Television 09.07014.1% 215
    Graduates in this field earn $55,804 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Computer science, 2.2% → 9.8% of graduates since 2014–15 (520 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Science$136,667 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $90,050

    4 years after completion$136,667
    National median: $107,009Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $111,866 · Non-Pell: $123,463(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $23,125 · 599 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Computer Engineering$135,394 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $93,995

    4 years after completion$135,394
    National median: $109,015Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $100,217 · Non-Pell: $123,464(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $25,984 · 221 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$110,622 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $54,456

    4 years after completion$110,622
    National median: $55,693Above typical

    Median federal debt: $24,375 · 79 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Business Administration, Management and Operations$108,412 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $71,545

    4 years after completion$108,412
    National median: $68,257Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $82,048 · Non-Pell: $88,230(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $23,196 · 1,350 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Biomedical/Medical Engineering$99,024 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $69,209

    4 years after completion$99,024
    National median: $93,451Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $88,455 · Non-Pell: $85,047(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $25,500 · 258 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college10 to 1
10 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 76% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 10 to 1 in its Common Data Set (17,627 students, 1,689 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

59%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 13% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–954219%
10–191,16840%
20–2935112%
30–392749%
40–491626%
50–992579%
100+1325%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Cross-registration
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • English as a Second Language
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Liberal arts/career combination
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Weekend college
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research
Full-time faculty70%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$150,038

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$35,988
$35,988
← Lessmore than 95% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$94,523
$94,523
← Lessmore than 77% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, Fall 2024;Boston University Common Data Set 2024–25, 2024–25;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)