University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) vs Boston University (BU)

When it comes to higher education, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and Boston University (BU) stand out as two of the most prestigious institutions in the United States. Both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, vibrant campus life, and strong research opportunities. However, there are some key differences between the two that prospective students should consider. UPenn has a lower acceptance rate, a more diverse student body, and higher graduation rates, while BU offers a wider range of undergraduate majors, a more urban campus, and a slightly lower cost of attendance. To help you make an informed decision about which university is the best fit for you, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that highlights the key differences between UPenn and BU. Dive in to explore the data and discover which university aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Boston University	University of Pennsylvania
Overview
Location	Boston, Massachusetts	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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%	98.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	18.6%	5.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $80 Graduate: $95	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $90
SAT range	1360 - 1520	1480 - 1570
ACT range	31 - 34	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	49.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	30.0%
Total number of applicants	75,778	56,332
Total number of admissions given out	14,129	3,304
Admitted students who chose to enroll	4,011	2,418
Yield rate	28.4%	73.2%
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	$80,496
Average net price	$25,852	$14,578
Tuition	$58,560	$54,652
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,990 Meal plan: $5,850	Room/dormitory: $11,358 Meal plan: $5,946
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	52.0% Average amount $50,778
Students receiving federal student loan	24.0% Average amount $4,317	9.0% Average amount $5,030
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $25,248	2.0% Average amount $27,160

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	18,229 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%	11,292 Men 44.7% Women 55.3%
Graduate students	17,875 Men 42.5% Women 57.5%	16,746 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	82.7%
International students	26.6%	22.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	11,356	6,400
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	Pennsylvania New York California New Jersey Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Computer and Information Science Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Business Education Legal Profession Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.4%	96.2%
Dropout rate	10.3%	2.8%
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	Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $189,905 Year 2: $201,334 Year 3: $249,574 International/Global Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $162,528 Year 2: $182,280 Year 3: $234,875 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,404 Year 2: $198,043 Year 3: $227,605 Real Estate (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $119,383 Year 2: $169,894 Year 3: $224,847 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $186,571 Year 2: $177,119 Year 3: $218,410 Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $245,155 Year 3: $214,930 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $177,203 Year 2: $202,922 Year 3: $214,927 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $169,238 Year 2: $174,994 Year 3: $208,033 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $102,195 Year 2: $138,932 Year 3: $197,810 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $179,063 Year 2: $175,674 Year 3: $186,790

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