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
World University Rankings 47 40 39 53 54 43 41 49 60 63 65 66 74 71 86 78 94

By Fields

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

By Subjects

Subject 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Agricultural Sciences 104 148 142 179 168 239 191 208 229 263 273 275 301-350
Biology & Biochemistry - - - - - - - - 74 84 - 90 82
Chemistry 272 233 197 232 282 293 292 280 272 301-350 301-350 301-350 166
Chemical Engineering - - - - - - - - 451-500 451-500 - - -
Civil Engineering - - - 276 297 - 285 301-350 268 267 - 301-350 298
Clinical Medicine - - - - - - - - 62 61 72 74 87
Computer Science 134 120 101 113 151 184 226 257 266 301-350 351-400 351-400 214
Economics & Business - - - - - - - - 58 59 - 46 61
Electrical Engineering 126 98 97 144 173 186 204 200 216 241 163 180 83
Environment / Ecology 136 129 139 120 127 120 107 95 98 103 - 105 134
Geosciences 115 123 100 106 107 114 112 133 136 118 - 112 113
Immunology - - - - - - - - 72 79 - 106 118
Materials Science 279 248 221 257 268 - 301-350 293 263 301-350 351-400 351-400 215
Mathematics 183 192 159 188 294 292 295 227 231 243 351-400 351-400 275
Mechanical Engineering 270 289 - 295 - - - 401-450 301-350 301-350 - 351-400 220
Microbiology - - - - - - - - 136 128 - - 150
Molecular Biology & Genetics - - - - - - - - 56 58 - 82 88
Neuroscience & Behavior - - - - - - - - 48 49 - 51 51
Pharmacology & Toxicolog - 101 96 108 92 81 95 90 97 118 122 137 130
Physics 74 62 51 58 81 71 76 100 68 66 87 126 144
Plant & Animal Science 297 293 261 290 218 249 - 301-350 279 233 - - -
Psychiatry / Psychology - - - - - - - - 28 29 - 34 35
Social Sciences, General - - - - - - - - 26 32 31 34 39
Space Science - - - - - - - - 144 88 - 184 180
Energy Science & Engineering - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Environmental Science & Engineering - - - - - - - - - - 103 112 51
Biomedical Engineering - - - - - - - - - - - - -