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Northeastern University (NEU) and Boston University (BU) are two private research universities in Boston, Massachusetts that share the same spot (#40) in the U.S. News and World Reports’ National University Rankings 2020.
| Northeastern University | Boston University | |
|---|---|---|
| ranking (overall) | # 53 US News 2024 # 201 Times Higher Education 2024 # 375 QS World University 2024 | # 43 US News 2024 # 78 Times Higher Education 2024 # 93 QS World University 2024 |
| Subject Strength | # 32 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 168 for Medicine by Times Higher Education 2023 # 71 for Law by US News 2024 | # 34 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 32 for Medicine by US News 2024 # 27 for Law by US News 2024 |
| Programs | UG Programs -52 PG Programs -93 | UG Programs -96 PG Programs -128 Doctorate Programs -2 |
| Acceptance Rate | 28.9 % | 29.4 % |
| Exam Score | GRE updated-299 IELTS-6.5 SAT-1450 TOEFL-90 | Duolingo-110 GMAT-650 IELTS-7 SAT-1360 TOEFL-84 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 59100 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 48000 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 26630 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 58560 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 58560 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 39410 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate employability rankings: #201-250 Executive MBA: $183,000 | 96% of graduates employed within 6 months of graduation.Top recruiters: Brigham’s and Women’s Hospital; Wayfair LLC; Children’s Hospital, Boston; Amazon; Apple; Tesla; U.S. Department of State; Nike. Degree Average Salary Other Degree $155,000 Executive MBA $137,000 Masters in Management $133,000 MBA $125,000 Bachelor (Other) $107,000 Doctorate $100,000 |
| application requirements | LOR- 2 or 3 letters of recommendation, SOP- yes, GPA- 3.5 (89% or more). | Academic transcripts; English proficiency results; documentation of financial support; Standardized Tests (ACT/ SAT are optional); 2-3 LORs; Resume; Written Statement; Teacher Evaluation; Additional Requirements (portfolios; audition; medical requirements, etc.) |
| Campuses and B-Schools | NA | Questrom School of Business |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.4/10 Read 30 reviews | 7.3/10 Read 7 reviews |
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| General Facts | Northeastern University | Boston University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1898 | 1839 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 14:1 | 9:1 |
| Male:Female | 49% Male, 51% Female | 40% Male, 60% Female |
| Location Facts | The campus is located near to Museum of Fine Arts and Symphony Hall. It is situated in the heart of Boston and is filled with greenery. Northeastern University lies in the neighborhood of Huntington Avenue. | 3 campuses; main campus situated along Charles River in Fenway- Kenmore & Allston neighborhood; BU Medical Campus in the South End neighborhood of Boston; Fenway Campus in the Riverway area near South Campus. |
| Library | More than 50,000 printed books, 861,676 ebooks, 100,887 licenced e-journals, and 116,739 streaming audio and visual titles.The professional research available is accessible to public (open). | BU Library System consists of 21 libraries; houses 2.4 million physical volumes, over 45,000 current unique serials, 77,000 media titles; Mugar Memorial Library is the main library with other several specialized libraries with area-specific research collections. |
| Campus Life | 32 intramural sports, 18 varsity sports, and 43 club sports. Additionally, campus offers Fall Fest, Afro Flow Yoga workshop, Field hockey, volleyball, soccer games, Night at the student center, and First pages. | 500+ student clubs; fitness center; Agganis Arena (art entertainment complex); FitRec (270,000 sq foot fitness & recreation center); BU Beach; Morse Auditorium (Theatre); Marsh Chapel; Photonics Center; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL); BU Bridge |
| Hostel | #Room and board - $18440 | #Double - $17400 #Single with private bath and board - $22010 |
| Famous Alumni | Shawn Fanning (Computer programmer), Wendy Williams (TV host), Reggie Lewis (basketball player), Jane Curtin (actress), James Franklin Jeffrey (American Diplomat), Jeff Clarke (Executive Chairman of FTD), Albert Sacco (Dean Whitacre College of Engineering), Yale Patt (professor), Mo Cowan (former US Senator). | 390,700+ living alumni; 8 Nobel Laureates; 23 Pulitzer Prize winners; 10 Rhodes Scholars; 6 Marshall Scholars; 48 Sloan Fellows; 9 Academy Award winners; several Emmy & Tony Award winners; Martin Luther King, Jr. (American Civil Rights Movement leader); PSY (South Korean singer); Genna Davis (American actress); Bill O'Reilly (American journalist and TV host) |
| Weather |
Below mentioned are some of the other points that can be considered by a student looking for higher studies in USA, while choosing between Northeastern University and Boston University.
- Global Rankings: Based on the World University Rankings by QS and THE for 2020, Boston University Rankings are among the top 100 global universities. However, Northeastern University does not make it to the top 100.
- Subject Strength: According to various ranking agencies, BU ranks higher than NEU for subject rankings. According to Financial Times’ Global MBA Rankings, BU Questrom School of Business (#67) ranks two positions higher than NEU D’Amore-McKim School of Business (#69).
- Admissions: Admissions at Boston University are more selective than NEU with a lower acceptance rate. Both universities have a standardized test-optional policy where they are not necessarily required to submit proof of ACT or SAT scores for UG admissions.
- Groundbreaking Research: Both universities are categorized as R1 institutions (Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity) according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
- Co-op/ internships: According to US News and World Reports’ ranking on Best Co-ops/ Internships, Northeastern University ranks at #1.
- Costs: The annual average cost of study at Boston University is higher than at Northeastern University. Boston University's cost of study is about 25,000 USD more.
- Graduate Employability: According to QS and THE Graduate Employability Rankings, BU ranks among top 100 universities in the world while NEU does not even make it to top 200 universities.
- ROI or Placements: According to reports by Payscale, the annual ROI for BU is 4.9% while NEU is 5.4%. However, BU graduates are able to earn higher graduate salary packages than NEU graduates.
According to the details above it can be concluded that although Boston University has a higher cost of study and a more selective admission process, it would be the first choice among students while choosing between the two universities in USA. This is because of Boston University’s global rankings and subject strength along with higher graduate salary packages.
