Boston University is the 34th best national university in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report’s new rankings, its highest-ever ranking on the magazine’s list. Photo by Above Summit for Boston University Photography.

Rankings

Boston University Achieves Its Highest-Ever Ranking from U.S. News & World Report

BU jumps eight spots from last year, to 34th-best university in the nation

U.S. News & World Report has ranked Boston University 34th in its latest compilation of the best national universities in the United States—BU’s highest-ever placement on the 43-year-old list and an eight-spot jump from last year. 

BU was among 422 universities ranked by the magazine. The University’s impressive showing reflects the priorities in its Strategic Framework, which include building on BU’s position as an “intellectual and academic destination…globally known for our unwavering commitment to excellence in research, scholarship, arts, and humanities.”

Key metrics of the rankings—“social mobility” and “earnings-by-major”—were largely responsible for the University’s high showing. 

“Social mobility” refers to the graduation performance by recipients of federal, need-based Pell Grants. In that metric, the University advanced to 86th place, an 18-spot surge from last year. Propelling the improvement was BU’s six-year graduation rate for Pell recipients, which increased from 89 percent to 92 percent. Additionally, the graduation rate for Pell recipients was 3 percent higher than for non-Pell students.

The “earnings-by-major” metric, a new one for the rankings, examined earnings by bachelor’s degree recipients, four years postgraduation, who had received federal financial aid as students. BU ranked 45th best in the nation in this metric.

U.S. News also noted improved assessments of the University among higher education peers—deans and senior faculty—consulted for the rankings. This indicator is a large part of the rankings calculation and ties to a university’s overall reputation. 

“I am grateful for the hard work of the faculty and staff who make Boston University such an excellent institution,” says BU President Melissa Gilliam. “Their strong commitment to our students each and every day is what is most important. Of course, it is gratifying when rankings recognize our strengths in areas that matter to our community. This year, our rise in the rankings is reflected in our reputation, and in our commitments to social mobility, careers, and global reach, all of which are key parts of our North Star and Strategic Framework.”

BU Provost Colin Duckett notes that BU’s “academic community is committed to serving our students and society at large. It is validating to see our focus on student success, and the amazing work that happens across the University each day to further that effort, reflected externally. Through impactful curricula and student-centered programming, our faculty and staff are creating transformative experiences that prepare graduates to lead in their chosen fields and further distinguish Boston University as a premier academic and intellectual destination.”

The magazine also compared certain undergraduate programs to their counterparts at other universities. Of the programs ranked as part of this assessment, these are the highlights from BU: the Questrom School of Business’s accounting program was named the nation’s 48th best; the analytics program was 38th; finance, 37th; business programs, 33rd; management, 39th; and marketing, 39th.

In addition, the College of Arts & Sciences’ undergraduate economics program ranked 31st, its psychology and brain sciences program 37th, and its computer science programs 52nd. The College of Engineering’s undergraduate engineering programs, and its separately ranked specialty of biomedical engineering, ranked 46th and 13th, respectively. The BU Study Abroad program was ranked 21st best in the nation.

BU’s 34th-place showing tied the University with several peers that ranked above it last year: the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California’s Davis and Irvine campuses, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Florida.

U.S. News has issued rankings of the nation’s universities and colleges since 1983.