Our Global Identity

Boston University is anything but insular. We look beyond our classrooms and borders. You’ll find our students and faculty in more than 75 countries, on seven continents, including Antarctica, pursuing research, study, and service. Back on campus, stroll up and down Comm. Ave. and you’ll hear countless languages and dialects. Our professors, students, and researchers hail from more than 140 countries. It should come as no surprise that BU launched the nation’s first collegiate international exchange program more than a century ago. Engaging with people, ideas, and pressing issues that impact the world has always been vital to the University’s mission. Simply put, global engagement is in our DNA.

Global Identity

Community by the Numbers

400+

 Eucational, research, and service activities taking place around the world in over 90 countries and on all seven continents.

6,602

 Number of international students enrolled in classes on BU’s Charles River and Medical Campuses.

143

 Countries represented at BU—from China, India, and Saudi Arabia to Kenya, France, and Brazil.

1,103

 Foreign nationals from 91 countries teaching and working at BU, from short-term researchers to lecturers and tenure-track professors.

51

 International alumni groups around the globe, with China, India, Pakistan, and Canada boasting multiple networks.

1,246

 Number of BU alums who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961, placing the University 20th among all-time producers of volunteers.

17

 BU’s national ranking for number of alums with bachelor’s degrees currently serving in the Peace Corps (as of 2011).

25,078

 Hours that 3,490 BU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends volunteered at the 2011 Global Day of Service in 55 cities around the world.