Boston University (BU) vs Rice University

Boston University and Rice University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences to their students. Boston University, located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, while Rice University, situated in Houston, Texas, is known for its strong research focus and intimate learning environment. With acceptance rates of 21% and 15%, respectively, both universities are highly selective, attracting top students from across the nation. While Boston University's popular majors include Business Administration, Computer Science, and Psychology, Rice University excels in Engineering, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Boston University	Rice University
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	Houston, Texas
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	94.0%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	18.6%	9.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $85
SAT range	1360 - 1520	1490 - 1570
ACT range	31 - 34	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	46.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	29.0%
Total number of applicants	75,778	29,544
Total number of admissions given out	14,129	2,802
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,011	1,226
Yield rate	28.4%	43.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,606	$71,745
Average net price	$25,852	$18,521
Tuition	$58,560	$52,070
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,990 Meal plan: $5,850	Room/dormitory: $10,100 Meal plan: $4,700
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	53.0% Average amount $50,486	61.0% Average amount $51,036
Students receiving federal student loan	24.0% Average amount $4,317	9.0% Average amount $4,982
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $25,248	2.0% Average amount $24,340

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,229 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	4,247 Men 51.5% Women 48.5%
Graduate students	17,875 Men 42.5% Women 57.5%	4,038 Men 63.9% Women 36.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	56.1%
International students	26.6%	25.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	11,356	3,533
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York California New Jersey Connecticut Pennsylvania	Texas California New York Florida Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Computer and Information Science Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Engineering Computer and Information Science Social Sciences Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.4%	92.3%
Dropout rate	10.3%	6.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $115,398 Year 2: $125,611 Year 3: $147,490 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,318 Year 2: $110,878 Year 3: $142,427 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,155 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $117,665 Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,383 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $115,901 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,027 Year 2: $106,688 Year 3: $113,743 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,380 Year 2: $102,306 Year 3: $111,308 Insurance (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $112,170 Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $108,260 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $108,069 Year 2: $92,743 Year 3: $106,517 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $87,263 Year 2: $96,829 Year 3: $104,284 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,137 Year 2: $83,848 Year 3: $99,636	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $122,770 Year 2: $129,481 Year 3: $145,256 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $128,659 Year 2: $127,993 Year 3: $134,258 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,801 Year 2: $83,915 Year 3: $92,763 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $87,989 Year 2: $72,884 Year 3: $81,590 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,400 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $76,594 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: $61,295 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,231 Year 3: $59,421 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,232 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $52,284 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,009 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $46,363 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,474 Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $45,615

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