Northeastern vs Boston University (BU)

Nestled in the heart of Boston, Northeastern University and Boston University stand as two prominent institutions of higher learning, each offering a distinct educational experience. While both universities share a vibrant urban setting and a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects. Northeastern's renowned experiential learning model, with its emphasis on co-ops and internships, sets it apart from Boston University's more traditional academic approach. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details on acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Boston University	Northeastern University
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	Boston, Massachusetts
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%	18.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1360 - 1520	1430 - 1550
ACT range	31 - 34	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	28.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	14.0%
Total number of applicants	75,778	75,244
Total number of admissions given out	14,129	13,829
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,011	4,504
Yield rate	28.4%	32.6%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,606	$78,202
Average net price	$25,852	$38,927
Tuition	$58,560	$56,500
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,990 Meal plan: $5,850	Room/dormitory: $9,900 Meal plan: $7,910
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	53.0% Average amount $50,486	80.0% Average amount $36,308
Students receiving federal student loan	24.0% Average amount $4,317	44.0% Average amount $5,154
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $25,248	5.0% Average amount $28,495

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,229 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	15,747 Men 45.9% Women 54.1%
Graduate students	17,875 Men 42.5% Women 57.5%	12,420 Men 52.1% Women 47.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	26.6%	34.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	11,356	10,481
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 New Jersey Connecticut California Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Computer and Information Science Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Engineering Computer and Information Science Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.4%	90.6%
Dropout rate	10.3%	5.1%
Transferred out	N/A	3.8%
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	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,157 Year 2: $102,123 Year 3: $124,358 Taxation (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,863 Year 2: $100,518 Year 3: $122,957 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $113,631 Year 2: $110,878 Year 3: $121,357 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $105,065 Year 2: $101,072 Year 3: $110,392 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $95,288 Year 2: $89,413 Year 3: $108,000 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $86,867 Year 3: $104,196 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,801 Year 2: $89,415 Year 3: $103,529 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,777 Year 2: $86,867 Year 3: $102,904 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $88,529 Year 2: $89,564 Year 3: $99,566 Biotechnology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,825 Year 2: $80,556 Year 3: $98,428

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