Boston University
Boston University logo

Boston University

(BU)

đŸ‡ē🇸 United States / Massachusetts / Boston
Private AAU R1 Est. 1839
Website Ranking Overview
Official Website www.bu.edu Wikipedia Apply Financial Aid

About

Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodists with its original campus in Newbury, Vermont. It was chartered in Boston in 1869. The university is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Boston Consortium for Higher Education.

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 100 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

THE #76 (2026)
US News #86 (2026)

Ranked in 103 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# =88
48
71.1
2026
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# =76
1
70.4
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 101-150
—
2025
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# =86
13
71.9
2026

Key Facts

Students
29,239
Student-Staff Ratio
11.4 : 1
Int'l Students
33%
Female : Male
58 : 42
Staff
7,450

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 51 101 151 201 251 300 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
16
Public Health
Top 50
ARWU 16
23
Economics & Econometrics
Top 50
US News 23 QS =26 ARWU 36
26-50
Music
Top 50
QS 26-50
28
Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
Top 50
US News 28
35
Anatomy & Physiology
Top 50
QS 35
38
Clinical & Health
Top 50
THE 38
41
Communication & Media Studies
Top 50
ARWU 41 QS 51-100
43
Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies
Top 50
QS 43
45
Social Sciences and Public Health
Top 50
US News 45
46
Business & Economics
Top 50
THE 46
47
Dentistry
Top 50
QS 47 ARWU 76-100
=49
Psychology
Top 50
QS =49 THE 58 ARWU 76-100
51
Neuroscience and Behavior
Top 100
US News 51
51-75
Remote Sensing
Top 100
ARWU 51-75
51-75
Education & Training
Top 100
ARWU 51-75 QS 77 THE 101–125

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

ARWU

38 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Public Health 16 200.5 2025
Economics & Econometrics 36 155.2 2025
Communication & Media Studies 41 128.2 2025
Remote Sensing 51-75 - 2025
Education & Training 51-75 - 2025
Management 51-75 - 2025
Hospitality & Tourism Management 51-75 - 2025
Physics & Astronomy 76-100 - 2025
Earth & Marine Sciences 76-100 - 2025
Human Biological Sciences 76-100 - 2025
Clinical Medicine 76-100 - 2025
Dentistry 76-100 - 2025
Law & Legal Studies 76-100 - 2025
Sociology 76-100 - 2025
Psychology 76-100 - 2025
Finance 76-100 - 2025
Library & Information Science 76-100 - 2025
Ecology 101-150 - 2025
Computer Science 101-150 - 2025
Biological Sciences 101-150 - 2025
Medical Technology 101-150 - 2025
Statistics & Operational Research 101-150 - 2025
Politics 101-150 - 2025
Chemistry 151-200 - 2025
Atmospheric Science 151-200 - 2025
Automation & Control 151-200 - 2024
Biomedical Engineering 151-200 - 2025
Environmental Sciences 151-200 - 2025
Biotechnology 151-200 - 2025
Geography 201-300 - 2024
Nursing 201-300 - 2024
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 201-300 - 2025
Mathematics 301-400 - 2024
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 301-400 - 2025
Instruments Science & Technology 301-400 - 2025
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 301-400 - 2023
Business Administration 301-400 - 2025
Materials Science 401-500 - 2023

QS

50 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Music 26-50 - 2026
Economics & Econometrics =26 80.9 2026
Anatomy & Physiology 35 83.3 2026
Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies 43 70.3 2026
Dentistry 47 75.6 2026
Psychology =49 74.1 2026
Archaeology 51-100 - 2026
Classics & Ancient History 51-150 - 2026
Performing Arts 51-100 - 2026
Philosophy 51-100 - 2026
Data Science 51-100 - 2026
Anthropology 51-100 - 2026
Communication & Media Studies 51-100 - 2026
Development Studies 51-100 - 2026
Hospitality & Leisure Management 51-100 - 2026
Marketing 51-100 - 2026
Sports-Related Subjects 51-100 - 2026
Medicine =52 75.1 2026
Life Sciences & Medicine =62 77.8 2026
Accounting & Finance =63 72.1 2026
Biological Sciences =77 72.5 2026
Education & Training 77 71.3 2026
Business & Management Studies =79 71.4 2026
Law & Legal Studies 80 71.6 2026
Social Sciences & Management 83 74.1 2026
Politics 83 66.8 2026
English Language & Literature =90 69.6 2026
Computer Science =95 67.7 2026
Arts & Humanities 98 74.5 2026
Physics & Astronomy =98 72.9 2026
Linguistics 101-150 - 2026
History 101-150 - 2026
Modern Languages 101-150 - 2026
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 101-150 - 2026
Social Policy & Administration 101-150 - 2026
Statistics & Operational Research 101-150 - 2026
Mathematics =119 68.0 2026
Architecture 151-200 - 2025
Earth & Marine Sciences 151-200 - 2026
Environmental Sciences 151-200 - 2026
Geography 151-200 - 2026
Geology 151-200 - 2026
Geophysics 151-200 - 2026
Natural Sciences =168 72.9 2026
Engineering & Technology =191 69.8 2026
Art & Design 201-300 - 2026
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 201-250 - 2026
Chemistry 201-250 - 2026
Materials Science 201-250 - 2026
Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering 301-350 - 2026

THE

11 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Clinical & Health 38 75.9 2026
Business & Economics 46 65.9 2026
Psychology 58 65.3 2026
Life Sciences 62 68.1 2026
Law & Legal Studies 67 55.3 2026
Computer Science 101–125 56.2 2026
Physical Sciences 101–125 59.4 2026
Education & Training 101–125 51.8 2026
Social Sciences 126–150 50.8 2026
Engineering & Technology 151–175 52.9 2026
Arts & Humanities 151–175 43.2 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of Boston University?

Boston University's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank =88, THE Rank =76, ARWU Rank 101-150, US News Rank =86.

When was Boston University founded?

Boston University was founded in 1839.

What are the top subjects at Boston University?

Top subjects at Boston University include: Public Health, Economics & Econometrics, Music, Public, Environmental and Occupational Health, Anatomy & Physiology.

Where is Boston University located?

Boston University is located in Boston, United States.