Boston University (BU) : Rankings, Cost, Programs, Scholarships

International students are required to meet the minimum eligibility to get into Boston University USA. There are a range of courses that international students can pursue at BU from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. Check below the general admission requirements for international students: 

UG Admission Requirements

• Common application
• Higher secondary certificate
• Teacher evaluation
• SAT/ACT
• TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo
• Portfolios
• Auditions & Interviews
• Documentation of financial support
• Copy of data page of passport
• Recommendation letters

PG Admission Requirements

• A completed online application
• GRE/GMAT
• Statement of purpose
• Resume
• Official transcripts
• English language proficiency
• Recommendation letters
• Portfolio
• Interview
• Resume

As an Indian applicant of BU, here are some of the things and credentials that have to be submitted:

• Common Application / application
• Secondary school records or academic transcripts for graduate courses
• Senior year records
• English language proficiency test results
• Financial support documents
• Copy of the data page of passport
• Standardized test (optional for UG courses)
• Counsellor recommendation and school report form

Boston tops QS Rankings as the Best Student City in the US. It is a top destination for studies as top-ranking universities like MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Tufts, and Northeastern are located there. In the QS Best Student Cities 2025, Boston ranks at #16. However, Boston as a city has high cost of education and cost of living. The average annual tuition fee at the top universities in Boston can surpass USD 60,000 (Around INR 53 lakh). For living expenses, students are expected to spend USD 850 per month (Around INR 74k).

Boston University is a leading private research institution. There are 37,000+ students at BU hailing from 140 countries. The university offers 300+ courses. BU is one of the only 3 universities in Boston and Cambridge named to the prestigious Association of American Universities. It is internationally recognized as a top-institution of higher learning and research (Ranks in #41 in USA). The award-winning faculty of BU includes a forme US Poet Laureate, National and International Academies members, Fulbright Scholars, a dozens of leading scientists, authors, and researchers. 

As per Shiksha Study Abroad, the overall rating received by Boston University is 4.0. According to the reviews posted by students on Shiksha, here are some of the highlights for BU:

• BU has a highly engaging life. The campus is extremely welcoming and engaging with a lot of activities for students
• The faculty at Boston is highly qualified and are experts in their field
• For academic assistance, students can enroll in the ISSP or the International Students Success programme which is run by international students and professionals
• A little bit expensive but worth the experience. Studying at BU will allow you to grow as an individual and help you to learn the art of thinking out of the box

Boston University MSBA course is a 12-month long course. As a part of the top business school, this university's MSBA course allows students to master both the Data Analytics and Business fundamentals, a winning combination in the ever-growing field of Business Analytics. After pursuing this course, students can go for the career roles like Analytics Consulting, Applied Data Science, Business Intelligence, Customer & Marketing Analytics, etc. As per the 2024 facts, 87% international students enrolled at this university.

Some of the reasons to study at BU include:

• A wide range of academic courses are available. The university offers more than 300 courses
• BU has been globally recognized. It has been named a member of the prestigious AAU – an association of top research universities in the U.S. and Canada
• CEOs and recruiters rank the graduates of this university at #12 in the U.S. for employability
• For a university with 17,000+ UG students, BU has a small student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. Also, the average class size of the university is small, which means, students can have an engaging conversation with the award-winning professors

For admission to LLM in American Law at Boston University, the students should have a strong academic background. The class size of this university is 110-120. A few of the application materials that have to be submitted are:

• Transcripts (A first degree in Law or equivalent)
• Letters of recommendation
• CV
• TOEFL (minimum score of 100) / IELTS score report (7.0)
• High level of English language proficiency is required
• Work experience is preferred, but not required

Boston University USA is a top choice for thousands of students. It is 1 of the only 3 universities in Boston and Cambridge named to the prestigious Association of American Universities. The university is one of the largest independent universities in the U.S. Also, the university ranks at #41 among the national universities. Also, the university has a small student-to-faculty ratio i.e. 10:1. With an average class size of 30, students are going to meet award-winning professors. Moreover, BU is ranked #7 among universities hosting the most international students in the US by Open Doors.

To get into Boston University, the reported GPA for the first-year Class of 2028 is 3.9-4.0. The total number of applicants at this university is 78,769. Out of this, 71,000+ are Regular Decision applicants. Around 42.6% are students of color. This class includes students from 70 countries, 49 states. Also, 23% of the students in the Class of 2028 are international. For admission to this university, international applicants are required to submit secondary school records, English language proficiency score, financial support documents, standardized test scores, etc.

The duration of the Boston University MS in AI course is 1-1.5 years. To apply to this course, the applicants are required to have a strong background in Computer Science. A CS Undergraduate degree is required for admission to this course. The applicants are recommended to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Although the university do not require GRE scores, the average percentiles of the admitted students are 80% for Quantitative and 60% for Verbal. The application materials required to submit are:

• Personal statement
• Academic transcripts
• Two recommendation letters
• An application fee

Yes, the MIM course at Boston University is a STEM-based course. As a result of this international students may be able to apply for a 24-month extension of their 12-month OPT employment authorization. 96% of the Class of 2024 MIM course graduates accepted an offer within 6 months of graduation. To take admission to this course, the applicants are required to have a Bachelor's degree. GMAT / GRE results are optional. Documents to submitted are academic transcripts, resume, essay, English language proficiency score, etc.

The duration of the MSc in Applied Data Analytics course at Boston University is 8-16 months. This is a STEM-designated course. This programme exposes students to various Database Systems, Data Visualization Tools and Packages, Data Mining Tools, Cloud Services, etc. A Bachelor's degree is required for admission to this course. Also, English language proficiency score and other application materials must be submitted.

Yes, Boston University MBA course require GMAT / GRE score. The details and documents required to apply to this course are:

• Online application and application fee
• Three video essays or one written essay
• Resume
• One letter of recommendation
• University-level transcripts
• English language proficiency score

As per the Class of 2024 for MBA course, the details are given below:

• Average GMAT score: 701
• Average Undergrad GPA: 3.40
• GRE Total Mean: 318
• Average years of work experience: 6 years

A few of the reasons to choose BU are:

• Rigorous academics: BU offers more than 300+ academics and great academic flexibility
• Global Recognition: Boston has joined Association of American Universities (AAU), a prestigious association of top research universities in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, it ranks at #41 position among the national universities in the U.S. News & World Report category
• International Powerhouse: Research is the cornerstone of Boston University. Times Higher Education has named this university as an international powerhouse due to its commitment to research. The total research awards in FY 24 at BU was USD 579.5M
• Perfect class size: BU has small-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. The average class size of the university is 30 and with this small class size, students are going to engage more professors

According to Shiksha, BU has been rated 3.9. A few of the reviews of Indian student alumni about BU are given below:

• Challenging yet rewarding journey of growth, adaptation, and revival
• The Safety department at BU ensure a safe environment for all the students, faculty, and staff. The university also runs its free shuttle service and it is very reliable so one can avoid public transportation
• The campus is very diverse and the faculty is very helpful
• BU's campus is large, vibrant urban that offers strong academics and many opportunities and fast-paced environment
• BU provides hands-on and more practical form of learning