by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Boston University, from sticker cost of attendance and projected degree cost to net price, debt at graduation, and aid breakdowns.
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Published attendance costs at Boston University stands at about $82,694.00 a year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $68,102.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $14,592.00 |
| Total cost | $82,694.00 |
| That is 152% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $82,694.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$61,883.00 |
| Net price | $20,811.00 |
| That is 37% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $82,694.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$76,785.00 |
| Net price | $5,909.00 |
| That is 82% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees plus living costs. |
The reported cost series has been increasing by roughly 4.4% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Freshman year | $6,170.00 | $21,731.00 | $86,349.00 |
| Senior year | $7,025.00 | $24,741.00 | $98,310.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $26,365.00 | $92,857.00 | $368,973.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $10,044.00 | $35,375.00 | $140,565.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $303.00 | $1,069.00 | $4,246.00 |
| Total amount paid | $36,410.00 | $128,232.00 | $509,538.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% |
| Freshman year | $6,170.00 | $21,731.00 | $86,349.00 |
| Senior year | $6,443.00 | $22,691.00 | $90,165.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $12,613.00 | $44,422.00 | $176,513.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $4,805.00 | $16,923.00 | $67,245.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $145.00 | $511.00 | $2,031.00 |
| Total amount paid | $17,418.00 | $61,345.00 | $243,758.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the Net Price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $24,402.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $26,996.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,453.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $11,167.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,639.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $25,501.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,018.00 |
Use Boston University Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid breakdown.
The median graduating debt at Boston University is $21,500.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Moderate ($20-30k) burden tier.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $12,250.00 |
| Median (50th) | $21,500.00 |
| 75th | $30,000.00 |
| 90th | $33,500.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student loan debt detail.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $20,821.00 |
| Middle income | $21,500.00 |
| High income | $21,500.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $21,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $21,445.00 |
First-gen students at Boston University graduate with $55.00 in additional median debt versus continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Boston University is $666.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The default-rate category at Boston University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.0% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at Boston University come to $2,387,770,436.00 distributed across 72,626 borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 273 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $14,317.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 34 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $3,321.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the college veterans page.
Beyond the data above, it helps to ask a few questions when weighing Boston University, the questions below are worth your time:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.