Address: One Silber Way, 02215 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Medicine, Communication, Engineering
Boston University is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It grew out of the Newbury Biblical Institute, a Methodist theological school set up in Newbury, Vermont, in 1839, which moved to Boston in 1867 and received its university charter from the Massachusetts Legislature in 1869. The university is nonsectarian today, but it keeps its historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church, and its motto is “Learning, Virtue, Piety”.
The university enrolls nearly 34,000 students and employs around 4,000 faculty, spread over 17 schools and colleges and a Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, and it offers more than 300 degree programmes. The main campus lies along the Charles River in the Fenway-Kenmore and Allston neighbourhoods, while the Boston University Medical Campus is in the South End. BU is a member of the Association of American Universities, and its Terriers compete in NCAA Division I with Rhett the Boston Terrier as mascot.
Several milestones belong to its history. In 1877 BU became the first American university to award a PhD to a woman, the classics scholar Helen Magill White, and in 1876 professor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in a university laboratory. The Mugar Memorial Library and its branches hold about 1.9 million volumes, with archives that include papers of Franz Liszt, Theodore Roosevelt and Robert Frost.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Located in Boston, offering access to numerous academic, cultural, and professional opportunities. Large international student population. Member of AAU.
Research:
A major research university with strengths in medical sciences, engineering (biomedical, electrical), communication, public health, and emerging media. High research activity.
Famous Alumnis:
Martin Luther King Jr. (PhD), Julianne Moore, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Howard Stern, Geena Davis, Bill O’Reilly (also QMUL)
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10000
Current students***:
36000
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
350000
Pros
Wide range of programs, strong research university in a major academic city (Boston), diverse student body.
Cons
Large student population, urban campus spread along Commonwealth Avenue, can be expensive.
Best For
Students seeking a comprehensive research university experience in Boston, with diverse programs and strong opportunities in areas like medicine, communication, or engineering.
Harvard University lies across the Charles River in Cambridge and is a leading name in law, medicine, business and public policy, with about 21,200 students against roughly 36,000 at Boston University.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, concentrates on engineering, computer science and the physical sciences, and it is much smaller at about 11,900 students.
Brown University in Providence has about 10,000 students and is known for computer science, economics and biology within an open curriculum, offering a liberal-arts-centred alternative within New England.
Dartmouth College is a small institution of about 7,000 students in New Hampshire, with liberal arts and sciences at the core and a business school named Tuck.
Brandeis University in Waltham has roughly 4,700 students and combines arts and sciences with social policy and management, so it suits applicants who want a research university of modest size near Boston.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University College London in the United Kingdom has about 48,000 students and is strong in medicine, neuroscience and law, a profile that matches Boston University’s urban, research-driven character.
McGill University in Canada, with about 39,500 students, teaches medicine, law and engineering in a large city setting, and it is a frequent comparison for applicants to North American research universities.
University of Sydney in Australia has about 70,300 students and covers medicine and health, law, business and engineering across a broad comprehensive offer.
Karolinska Institute in Sweden is a specialised medical university of about 6,500 students, focused on medicine, public health, dentistry and nursing, and it is a match for the medical side of BU.
Universität Zürich in Switzerland enrolls around 28,000 students and covers natural sciences, mathematics and computational fields next to the humanities, with a research-intensive orientation similar to BU.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was Boston University founded?
Its roots go back to 1839, when Methodist ministers and laymen established the Newbury Biblical Institute, and the Massachusetts Legislature chartered Boston University in 1869. The school moved from Vermont to Boston in 1867, and the university celebrates both 1839 and 1869 as anniversaries.
Where is the campus located?
The main campus runs along the Charles River in Boston’s Fenway-Kenmore and Allston neighbourhoods. The Boston University Medical Campus is a separate site in the South End.
How large is the university?
It enrolls nearly 34,000 students and employs nearly 4,000 faculty and 6,500 staff. These are spread across 17 schools and colleges and a Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, with more than 300 degree programmes.
Is Boston University a religious institution?
No, it is nonsectarian, although it keeps a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church because Methodists founded it. Its motto is “Learning, Virtue, Piety”.
What academic firsts are linked to the university?
In 1877 it was the first American university to award a PhD to a woman, Helen Magill White, who wrote on Greek drama. In 1876 professor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in a laboratory of the university.
What does the university library hold?
The Mugar Memorial Library and its branches house about 1.9 million volumes. The archives include the papers of Franz Liszt, Theodore Roosevelt and Robert Frost.
Which sports teams does BU field?
The Boston University Terriers compete in NCAA Division I, in the Patriot League and Hockey East conferences. The mascot is Rhett the Boston Terrier.
Biomedical Sensors, Engineering, Innovation, Medical Devices, Quality Management, User experience (UX), User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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