Admissions · United States

Boston University Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and TOEFL & IELTS Requirements

Boston University admitted 12.8% of first-year applicants for fall 2025: 9,853 of 76,776, according to its Common Data Set.

Boston University TOEFL and IELTS requirements at a glance

Minimum TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic scores for Boston University
Applying for	TOEFL iBT	IELTS Academic
Undergraduate (first-year)	TOEFL iBTCompetitive range: 90–100 composite with at least 20 in each section (0–120 scale). BU states 5.0 or higher for score reports issued from 21 January 2026.	IELTS Academic7 overall satisfies BU's English proficiency requirement for all programs

Full requirements and official sources · Check your TOEFL band with a free mock test

Boston University publishes its admissions figures in the Common Data Set, released by Analytical Services & Institutional Research; the newest covers fall 2025. Below are the last three cycles, the early decision, residency, wait-list and transfer figures BU has published, and the TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo scores BU lists.

Figures read from official sources on 13 October 2026 · English requirements updated 26 October 2026 · LingoLeap Admissions Research

Boston University acceptance rate by year

Boston University applicants, admits and acceptance rate by admission cycle
Cycle	Applicants	Admitted	Acceptance rate
Fall 2025 entering class	76,776	9,853	12.8% source
Fall 2024 entering class	78,769	8,749	11.1% source
Fall 2023 entering class	80,495	8,733	10.8% source

Boston University acceptance rate by round and applicant group

Boston University acceptance rate by admission round, college or applicant group
Group	Cycle	Rate	Detail
Early Decision	Fall 2025 entering class	31.3%	2,165 admitted of 6,907 ED applicants source
Early Decision	Fall 2024 entering class	28.2%	1,936 admitted of 6,854 ED applicants source
Early Decision	Fall 2023 entering class	26.1%	1,791 admitted of 6,866 ED applicants source
Massachusetts residents	Fall 2025 entering class	13.3%	1,075 admitted of 8,059 source
Out-of-state (US)	Fall 2025 entering class	11.6%	5,908 admitted of 50,764 source
International	Fall 2025 entering class	16.0%	2,521 admitted of 15,794 source
Wait list (admitted of those who accepted a place)	Fall 2025 entering class	4.6%	479 admitted of 10,393 who accepted a place; 16,135 were offered one source
Wait list (admitted of those who accepted a place)	Fall 2024 entering class	0.2%	18 admitted of 8,996 who accepted a place; 15,339 were offered one source
Wait list (admitted of those who accepted a place)	Fall 2023 entering class	0.4%	34 admitted of 8,907 who accepted a place; 15,033 were offered one source
Yield (admits who enrolled)	Fall 2025 entering class	35.0%	3,449 enrolled of 9,853 admitted source
Yield (admits who enrolled)	Fall 2024 entering class	37.4%	3,268 enrolled of 8,749 admitted source
Yield (admits who enrolled)	Fall 2023 entering class	36.0%	3,145 enrolled of 8,733 admitted source
Transfer	Fall 2025	35.7%	2,416 admitted of 6,761 source
Transfer	Fall 2024	34.6%	2,328 admitted of 6,729 source
Transfer	Fall 2023	39.7%	2,426 admitted of 6,105 source

What the numbers mean

Boston University's acceptance rate rose from 10.8% for fall 2023 (80,495 applicants) to 12.8% for fall 2025 (76,776). Applications fell by about 3,700 over the two years while admits rose from 8,733 to 9,853, so the rate moved up on both counts. Yield, the share of admits who enrolled, was 35.0% for fall 2025, 37.4% for fall 2024 and 36.0% for fall 2023.

Early Decision is binding. BU reported 31.3% admitted for fall 2025 (2,165 of 6,907), 28.2% for fall 2024 (1,936 of 6,854) and 26.1% for fall 2023 (1,791 of 6,866), roughly two and a half times the overall rate. The Common Data Set reports one early decision figure per year and its notes describe two early decision rounds, so the figures are not split by round. BU does not offer early action.

BU's wait list is large but rarely used: 479 students were admitted from it for fall 2025 (4.6% of the 10,393 who accepted a place), after 18 for fall 2024 and 34 for fall 2023. By residency, fall 2025 admit rates were 13.3% for Massachusetts residents (1,075 of 8,059), 11.6% for out-of-state US applicants (5,908 of 50,764) and 16.0% for international applicants (2,521 of 15,794). The Common Data Set also lists 2,159 applicants of unknown residency, not shown here.

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo. BU lists the competitive TOEFL range as a composite of 90–100 with at least 20 in each section, and 5.0 or higher for score reports issued from 21 January 2026; IELTS 7 satisfies the requirement for all programs; and competitive Duolingo scores are 125–135. These are stated as competitive ranges, not minimums, apart from the IELTS 7. Waivers are at the Board of Admissions' discretion.

Boston University TOEFL and IELTS requirements

Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.

Undergraduate (first-year)

TOEFL iBT: Competitive range: 90–100 composite with at least 20 in each section (0–120 scale). BU states 5.0 or higher for score reports issued from 21 January 2026.

IELTS Academic: 7 overall satisfies BU's English proficiency requirement for all programs

Required if your first language is not English (TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo). Duolingo: competitive at 125–135 total, and BU requires the total and all subscores. Not accepted: IELTS Indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus, TOEFL Essentials. Waivers are at the Board of Admissions' discretion.

Boston University Admissions: International applicants (English proficiency) · checked 13 October 2026

Check your score against Boston University

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FAQ

What is Boston University's acceptance rate?

Boston University admitted 9,853 of 76,776 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 12.8%, according to its Common Data Set. The rate was 11.1% for fall 2024 and 10.8% for fall 2023.

What is BU's early decision acceptance rate?

BU admitted 2,165 of 6,907 early decision applicants for fall 2025 (31.3%), 1,936 of 6,854 for fall 2024 (28.2%) and 1,791 of 6,866 for fall 2023 (26.1%). The Common Data Set does not split these by early decision round.

What is BU's transfer acceptance rate?

BU admitted 2,416 of 6,761 transfer applicants for fall 2025 (35.7%), 2,328 of 6,729 for fall 2024 (34.6%) and 2,426 of 6,105 for fall 2023 (39.7%).

What is BU's international acceptance rate?

For fall 2025, BU admitted 2,521 of 15,794 international first-year applicants (16.0%). This page shows the residency split for fall 2025 only.

What is BU's waitlist acceptance rate?

For fall 2025, BU offered 16,135 applicants a place on its wait list, 10,393 accepted, and 479 were admitted: 4.6% of those who accepted. Only 18 were admitted for fall 2024 and 34 for fall 2023.

What is BU's yield?

For fall 2025, 3,449 of 9,853 admitted students enrolled, a yield of 35.0%. It was 37.4% for fall 2024 and 36.0% for fall 2023.

What TOEFL score does Boston University require?

BU requires TOEFL iBT, IELTS or Duolingo from applicants whose first language is not English. It says the most competitive TOEFL applicants have a composite of 90–100 with at least 20 per section, and 5.0 or higher on score reports from 21 January 2026. An IELTS of 7 or higher satisfies the requirement for all programs.

What IELTS score does Boston University require?

Undergraduate (first-year): IELTS Academic 7 overall satisfies BU's English proficiency requirement for all programs. Check your programme page, as some courses set higher scores.