Syracuse University vs Boston University (BU)

Syracuse University and Boston University, two prominent private research universities located in vibrant college towns, offer distinct academic experiences and diverse student communities. Syracuse, known for its strong athletics programs and spirited campus culture, boasts an acceptance rate of 50%, while Boston University, renowned for its global reputation and extensive research opportunities, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 27%. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors including business, engineering, and communications at Syracuse and business, engineering, and biology at Boston University. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences in student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision about which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Boston University	Syracuse University
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	Syracuse, New York
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
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%	90.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	18.6%	59.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $75
SAT range	1360 - 1520	1220 - 1400
ACT range	31 - 34	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	25.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	13.0%
Total number of applicants	75,778	39,682
Total number of admissions given out	14,129	23,489
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,011	3,765
Yield rate	28.4%	16.0%
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	$77,896
Average net price	$25,852	$43,545
Tuition	$58,560	$55,920
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,990 Meal plan: $5,850	Room/dormitory: $9,075 Meal plan: $7,820
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	86.0% Average amount $31,590
Students receiving federal student loan	24.0% Average amount $4,317	37.0% Average amount $5,350
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $25,248	7.0% Average amount $26,377

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,229 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	14,778 Men 45.4% Women 54.6%
Graduate students	17,875 Men 42.5% Women 57.5%	6,994 Men 48.0% Women 52.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	67.2%
International students	26.6%	16.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	11,356	8,291
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 Mississippi California Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Computer and Information Science Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Computer and Information Science Engineering Communication and Journalism Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.4%	82.4%
Dropout rate	10.3%	17.0%
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	Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,789 Year 2: $88,195 Year 3: $94,942 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,396 Year 2: $77,966 Year 3: $88,763 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,925 Year 2: $66,989 Year 3: $82,179 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,264 Year 2: $64,087 Year 3: $79,186 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,439 Year 2: $66,653 Year 3: $79,132 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,871 Year 2: $62,343 Year 3: $77,924 Business/Managerial Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $62,674 Year 3: $77,843 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,673 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $76,227 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $59,689 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $74,295 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,229 Year 2: $61,303 Year 3: $73,883

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