BU vs. The New School

Deciding between Boston University and The New School? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Boston University
The New School

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • BU Boston, MA
  • The New School New York, NY
  • Setting
  • BU Large City
  • The New School Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • BU 37,737
  • The New School 9,068
  • Type
  • BU Private 4 Year
  • The New School Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • BU #73
  • The New School #164
  • Religious Affiliation
  • BU -
  • The New School -
  • Status
  • BU Non-profit
  • The New School Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • BU
  • The New School

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • BU $68,102
  • The New School $58,694
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • BU $68,102
  • The New School $58,694
  • Room & Board
  • BU $19,020
  • The New School $25,337
  • Average Net Price
  • BU $24,420
  • The New School $67,224
  • Average Grant Aid
  • BU $61,848
  • The New School $22,174
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • BU 49%
  • The New School 94%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • BU 78,769
  • The New School 9,828
  • Admitted
  • BU 8,749
  • The New School 6,238
  • Acceptance Rate
  • BU 11.1%
  • The New School 63.5%
  • Enrolled
  • BU 37.4%
  • The New School 21.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • BU 1480
  • The New School 1250
  • Typical ACT score
  • BU 33
  • The New School 28
  • Average High School GPA
  • BU 3.79
  • The New School 3.59
  • Typical High School Grades
  • BU A-
  • The New School A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • BU Exceptional
  • The New School Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • BU Very High
  • The New School Low
  • ACT Range
  • BU 32/34
  • The New School 26/30
  • SAT Range
  • BU 1420/1530
  • The New School 1140/1360
  • Submit Test Scores
  • BU Test optional
  • The New School Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • BU Jan 4, 2027
  • The New School

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • BU 10:1
  • The New School 9:1
  • Popular Majors
  • BU
    • Business (21%)
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Communication (15%)
    • Health Professions (8%)
    • Engineering (7%)
  • The New School
    • Visual and Performing Arts (62%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Foreign Languages (4%)
    • Social Sciences (3%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • BU 85%
  • The New School 61%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • BU $72,000
  • The New School $52,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • BU 82%
  • The New School 65%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • BU $27,000
  • The New School $23,872
  • Median Loan Payment
  • BU $279
  • The New School $246

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • BU 42%
  • The New School 25%
  • % Women
  • BU 58%
  • The New School 75%
  • Racial Diversity
  • BU Very High
  • The New School Very High
  • HBCU
  • BU No
  • The New School No
  • % White
  • BU 43%
  • The New School 33%
  • % Asian
  • BU 14%
  • The New School 9%
  • % Black
  • BU 4%
  • The New School 6%
  • % Hispanic
  • BU 11%
  • The New School 12%
  • % Native American
  • BU 0%
  • The New School 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • BU 0%
  • The New School 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • BU 4%
  • The New School 4%
  • % International
  • BU 20%
  • The New School 32%
  • % Unknown Race
  • BU 5%
  • The New School 4%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • BU 15%
  • The New School 13%
  • % Out-of-State
  • BU 62%
  • The New School 48%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • BU Yes
  • The New School Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • BU No
  • The New School No
  • Meal Plan
  • BU Yes
  • The New School Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • BU Yes
  • The New School Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • BU No
  • The New School No

Comparable Facts

Compare Boston University in Boston, MA with The New School in New York, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Boston University is larger than The New School based on total student enrollment (37,737 students vs. 9,068 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Boston University is located in Boston, MA (Large City setting); The New School is in New York, NY (Large City setting).
  • Boston University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. The New School is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Boston University 10:1; The New School 9:1.

BU vs. The New School Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BU or The New School? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Boston University than The New School ($24,420 vs. $67,224).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston University are 24.9% lower than at The New School ($19,020 vs. $25,337).
  • Boston University is 16% more expensive for in-state tuition than The New School (about $9,408 more per year; $68,102.00 vs. $58,694.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 16% higher at BU than at The New School (about $9,408 more per year; $68,102.00 vs. $58,694.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at The New School than at Boston University (94% vs. 49%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston University students is 178.9% larger than aid received by The New School students ($61,848 vs. $22,174).

BU vs. The New School Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BU or The New School? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between The New School and BU.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Boston University (1480) is 230 points higher than at The New School (1250).
  • Incoming BU students have a 5 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 28 at The New School).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston University 1420/1530; The New School 1140/1360.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston University 32/34; The New School 26/30.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: BU - Test optional; The New School - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: BU Jan 4, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman BU students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.79) than students at The New School (3.59).
  • The New School has a higher acceptance rate (63.5%) than BU (11.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 37.4% at BU vs. 21.3% at The New School.

BU vs. The New School Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for BU and The New School? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Boston University's six-year graduation rate (85%) is higher than The New School's (61%).
  • Graduates from Boston University earn a median of about $19,300 more per year than The New School graduates about ten years after starting college ($72,000 vs. $52,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, The New School graduates have a $3,128 lower median loan debt than BU graduates ($23,872 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, The New School graduates have an estimated $33 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than BU graduates ($246 vs. $279).
  • More BU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former The New School students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.