About Boston University:

Boston University is located in the heart of what many view as the world’s greatest university city. With more than 32,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 130 countries, it is one of the largest universities in the greater Boston area, which is home to more than 100 higher education institutions. It has around 10,000 faculty and staff, 17 schools and colleges and 250 fields of study located across two campuses and numerous international programmes, with facilities concentrated mainly on its impressive Charles River campus. Around 75 per cent of undergraduates at Boston University live in student housing in and around campus, which contain 17 schools and colleges, 23 libraries and 450 active student societies. Sport is a major part of college life, with around 7,000 students associated with sporting clubs and societies and more than 6,500 people using its fitness and recreation facilities each day. Culture is also a strong feature, with more than 500 concerts and performances, and in excess of 50 exhibitions, taking place on campus annually. As a member of the Association of American Universities, Boston is recognised as a leading global research institution, winning around $327 million in grants and contacts in 2015, of which $107 million related to clinical grants. Arguably its most famous graduate is the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, who took his PhD studies at Boston University in the 1950s. Other notable alumni have made their mark in worlds of politics, science, entertainment, sport, journalism, law, academia, business and music.



World University Rankings

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
World University Rankings - - - - - - - - - - 65 66 74 71 86 78 94 105

By Fields

Field 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Agriculture 172 145 86 141 148 175 164 168 158 156 153 152 146 168 171 190 222
Engineering 131 141 196 193 185 182 241 - - 351-400 401-450 351-400 351-400 451-500 - 223 227
Life Sciences 45 42 49 53 48 48 48 50 52 56 54 62 64 76 86 86 89
Medicine 33 26 44 39 33 40 44 43 49 49 51 53 55 64 65 81 77
Natural Sciences 68 64 76 103 83 68 77 98 102 105 123 103 103 137 158 154 171
Social Sciences 31 29 29 31 27 32 27 30 27 33 33 31 34 32 38 42 43

By Subjects

Subject 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Agricultural Sciences 104 148 142 179 168 239 191 208 229 263 273 275 301-350 301-350
Biology & Biochemistry - - - - - - - - 74 84 - 90 82 89
Chemistry 272 233 197 232 282 293 292 280 272 301-350 301-350 301-350 166 172
Chemical Engineering - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Civil Engineering - - - 276 297 - 285 - 268 267 - - 298 172
Clinical Medicine - - - - - - - - 62 61 72 74 87 83
Computer Science 134 120 101 113 151 184 226 257 266 301-350 351-400 351-400 214 170
Economics & Business - - - - - - - - 58 59 - 46 61 72
Electrical Engineering 126 98 97 144 173 186 204 200 216 241 163 180 83 68
Environment / Ecology 136 129 139 120 127 120 107 95 98 103 - 105 134 168
Geosciences 115 123 100 106 107 114 112 133 136 118 - 112 113 142
Immunology - - - - - - - - 72 79 - 106 118 121
Materials Science 279 248 221 257 268 - 301-350 293 263 301-350 351-400 351-400 215 200
Mathematics 183 192 159 188 294 292 295 227 231 243 351-400 351-400 275 274
Mechanical Engineering 270 289 - 295 - - - - - - - - 220 -
Microbiology - - - - - - - - 136 128 - - - 152
Molecular Biology & Genetics - - - - - - - - 56 58 - 82 88 99
Neuroscience & Behavior - - - - - - - - 48 49 - 51 51 50
Pharmacology & Toxicolog - 101 96 108 92 81 95 90 97 118 122 137 130 157
Physics 74 62 51 58 81 71 76 100 68 66 87 126 144 160
Plant & Animal Science 297 293 261 290 218 249 - - 279 233 - - - -
Psychiatry / Psychology - - - - - - - - 28 29 - 34 35 35
Social Sciences, General - - - - - - - - 26 32 31 34 39 36
Space Science - - - - - - - - 144 88 - 184 180 135
Energy Science & Engineering - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Environmental Science & Engineering - - - - - - - - - - 103 112 51 55
Biomedical Engineering - - - - - - - - - - - - - -