New York University (NYU) vs Boston University (BU)

New York University and Boston University, two prominent private research universities located in vibrant metropolises, offer distinct academic experiences and opportunities. NYU, situated in the heart of New York City, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, while BU, nestled in the historic city of Boston, emphasizes experiential learning and global engagement. With acceptance rates of 16% and 21%, respectively, both universities are highly selective, attracting top students from around the world. While NYU's popular majors include Economics, Psychology, and Computer Science, BU excels in fields such as Business Administration, Biology, and Engineering. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including student demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the best fit for your academic and personal aspirations.
Boston University logo

Boston University

New York University logo

New York University

Overview

Location Boston, Massachusetts New York, New York
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% 94.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 18.6% 13.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $95
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $110
SAT range 1360 - 1520 1450 - 1570
ACT range 31 - 34 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 32.0% 23.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0% 9.0%
Total number of applicants 75,778 95,517
Total number of admissions given out 14,129 12,380
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,011 6,097
Yield rate 28.4% 49.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $79,606 $79,746
Average net price $25,852 $50,991
Tuition $58,560 $53,770
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,990

Meal plan: $5,850
Room/dormitory: $14,232

Meal plan: $5,450
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

53.0%
Average amount $50,486
75.0%
Average amount $25,047
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $4,317
25.0%
Average amount $5,094
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $25,248
3.0%
Average amount $37,948

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 18,229
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
28,772
Men 41.8% Women 58.2%
Graduate students 17,875
Men 42.5% Women 57.5%
29,454
Men 42.4% Women 57.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 67.6%
International students 26.6% 30.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 11,356 13,063
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 New York California New Jersey Texas Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.4% 86.9%
Dropout rate 10.3% 6.5%
Transferred out N/A 5.9%
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
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $189,685
  • Year 2: $174,714
  • Year 3: $209,134
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $178,151
  • Year 3: $180,551
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $148,198
  • Year 2: $145,543
  • Year 3: $162,625
Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $161,093
  • Year 2: $137,921
  • Year 3: $158,306
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $111,769
  • Year 3: $135,122
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,668
  • Year 2: $112,328
  • Year 3: $125,640
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $119,483
  • Year 2: $111,833
  • Year 3: $121,619
Real Estate (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,871
  • Year 2: $104,597
  • Year 3: $117,508
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,198
  • Year 2: $81,886
  • Year 3: $113,230
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,653
  • Year 2: $79,957
  • Year 3: $104,670

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The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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