CAMPUS · BOSTON, MA · PRIVATE

Boston University

10.8%

01Acceptance 02Tuition 03Transfer 04ROI 05AP Credit 06Majors 07Housing 08International

Boston University Majors Overview: Salary, Courses & Career Outcomes

Every major at Boston University with graduate salary, course catalog depth, and career preparation data.

#	Major	US Rank	Boston University Salary	National Median	Premium	Degrees/Year	Courses
1	Computer Science	—	$108,750	$75,000	+45%	287	40
Featured Courses: CS 108: Programming for Non-CS Majors CS 115: Academic Writing in Computer Science CS 131: Combinatoric Structures CS 132: Geometric Algorithms CS 210: Computer Systems
2	Engineering	—	$104,400	$72,000	+45%	390	61
Featured Courses: BE 400: Undergraduate Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering BE 403: Biomedical Signals and Controls BE 404: Modern Control in Biomedical Engineering BE 424: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics BE 428: Device Diagnostics and Design
3	Mathematics & Statistics	—	$89,900	$62,000	+45%	136	24
Featured Courses: MA 107: Mathematical Reasoning in the Elementary Grades: Number Systems MA 108: Mathematical Reasoning in the Elementary Grades: Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics MA 111: Mathematical Explorations MA 113: Elementary Statistics MA 213: Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems
4	Business	—	$79,750	$55,000	+45%	745	83
Featured Courses: AC 221: Financial Accounting AC 222: Managerial Accounting AC 347: Intermediate Accounting 1 AC 348: Intermediate Accounting 2 AC 414: Financial Statement Analysis
5	Health Professions	—	$75,400	$52,000	+45%	246	40
Featured Courses: BS 401S: Survey in Biostatistical Methods BS 722: Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials BS 730: This course introduces students to statistical computing with focus on the SAS software BS 728: Public Health Surveillance, a Methods Based Approach BS 751: Essentials of Quantitative Data Management
6	Physical Sciences	—	$69,600	$48,000	+45%	91	45
Featured Courses: PY 104: Physics of Health Sciences PY 105: Physics 1 PY 106: Physics 2 PY 107: Physics of Food and Cooking PY 231: The Physics in Music
7	Architecture	—	$69,600	$48,000	+45%	14	—
8	Social Sciences	—	$65,250	$45,000	+45%	681	102
Featured Courses: EC 201: Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis EC 202: Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis EC 203: Empirical Economics 1 EC 204: Empirical Economics 2 EC 221: Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
9	Biological Sciences	—	$60,900	$42,000	+45%	535	42
Featured Courses: BI 107: Biology 1 BI 108: Biology 2 BI 114: Human Infectious Diseases BI 116: Biology 2 with Integrated Science Experience 1 Lab BI 119: Sociobiology
10	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	—	$60,900	$42,000	+45%	117	41
Featured Courses: SS 103: Politics, Economies, and Social Change in the West: The Ancient World Through the Enlightenment SS 104E: Politics, Economies & Social Change in the West: The Industrial Revolution to the Digital Revolution SS 201: Radicals, Rebels, and Revolutionaries: Agents of Global Change SS 202: American Foreign Policy Since World War II SS 300: Science, Politics & Power: WWII to the 21st Century
11	Communication & Journalism	—	$58,000	$40,000	+45%	626	41
Featured Courses: CM 180: Understanding Media CM 211: Professional Presentation CM 215: Principles and Practices of Public Relations CM 280: Persuasion Theory CM 313: Corporate Communication
12	History	—	$58,000	$40,000	+45%	36	20
Featured Courses: HI 101: The Dawn of Europe: Antiquity to the Renaissance HI 102: The Emergence of Modern Europe: Renaissance to the Present HI 112: Black Power in the Classroom: The History of Black Studies HI 151: The Emerging United States to 1865 HI 152: The Emerging United States Since 1865
13	Natural Resources & Conservation	—	$58,000	$40,000	+45%	31	—
14	Philosophy & Religious Studies	—	$55,100	$38,000	+45%	48	20
Featured Courses: PH 110: Great Philosophers PH 155: Politics and Philosophy PH 159: Philosophy and Film PH 160: Reasoning and Argumentation PH 242: Philosophy of Human Nature
15	Education	—	$55,100	$38,000	+45%	46	19
Featured Courses: AP 526: Family & Community Engagement AP 599: Addressing the Achievement Gap: Leading and Learning with New Technologies AP 600: Diversity and Justice in Education AP 601: History and Foundations of Higher Education AP 609: Analyzing the Role of Education Policy in Social Inequality
16	Foreign Languages & Linguistics	—	$55,100	$38,000	+45%	35	—
17	Area/Ethnic/Cultural Studies	—	$55,100	$38,000	+45%	7	20
Featured Courses: AA 112: Black Power in the Classroom: The History of Black Studies AA 114: Kongo to Cuba: Art, Exchange, and Self-Determination in Africa and Latin America AA 132: Write Back Soon: Blackness and the Prison AA 207: Sociology of Race and Ethnicity AA 215: Arts of Africa and Its Diaspora
18	Psychology	—	$52,200	$36,000	+45%	272	22
Featured Courses: PS 222: Perception PS 231: Physiological Psychology PS 234: Psychology of Learning PS 241: Developmental Psychology PS 251: Psychology of Personality: Theories and Application
19	English Language & Literature	—	$52,200	$36,000	+45%	51	20
Featured Courses: EN 101: Encounters: Reading across Time and Space EN 107: The Voice of Poetry EN 120: Freshman Seminar EN 121: Reading World Literature EN 122: Medieval Worlds
20	Visual & Performing Arts	—	$49,300	$34,000	+45%	161	49
Featured Courses: AR 121: Foundation Sculpture AR 131: Foundation Drawing 1 AR 132: Foundation Drawing 2 AR 141: Foundation Painting AR 193: Visual Arts Drawing

Career Path Match at Boston University 🎖️ DeepColleges Exclusive

How many courses at Boston University align with each career direction. More relevant courses mean better preparation for your target career.

Pre-Med / Clinical Medicine 27

CH 172: Principles of Organic and Biochemistry BI 210: Human Anatomy BI 211: Human Physiology CASBI 315: Introduction to principles of systemic human physiology tailored to preclinical education CASBI 407: ) Introduction to the genetics, physiology, neurobiology, ecology, and evolution of behavior

Marketing & Brand Strategy 23

HM 833: Health Sector Marketing MK 223: Marketing: Concepts to Consumers MK 323: Marketing Management MK 435: Introduction to the Music Business and Music Marketing MK 447: Action Learning Lab: Marketing Insights

Psychology Research (Non-Clinical) 19

PS 222: Perception PS 241: Developmental Psychology PS 261: Social Psychology PS 323: Experimental Psychology: Learning PS 324: Experimental Psychology: Developmental

Neuroscience & Brain Research 18

PS 212: Introduction to MATLAB Programming for Research in Psychological & Brain Sciences PS 329: Experimental Psychology: Cognitive Neuroscience CASNE 101: Comprehensive survey of drug influences on behavior; introduces a neuroscience approach to behavior PS 337: Memory Systems of the Brain CASBI 407: ) Introduction to the genetics, physiology, neurobiology, ecology, and evolution of behavior

Software Engineering 17

CS 103: Introduction to Internet Technologies and Web Programming CS 108: Programming for Non-CS Majors CS 132: Geometric Algorithms CS 235: Algebraic Algorithms CS 320: Concepts of Programming Languages

Journalism & Media 16

CM 443: Digital Media and PR JO 150: History and Principles of Journalism JO 200: Newswriting COMCO 201: Students acquire fundamental newsgathering and writing skills needed to thrive as a journalist working in any platform JO 300: Media and Democracy - Journalism in an Age of Disinformation

Accounting & Audit 15

AC 221: Financial Accounting AC 222: Managerial Accounting AC 347: Intermediate Accounting 1 AC 348: Intermediate Accounting 2 AC 469: Principles of Income Taxation I

Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering 13

CS 115: Academic Writing in Computer Science PY 410: Statistical Thermodynamics BE 424: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics BE 436: Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics ME 303: Fluid Mechanics

Investment Banking & Finance 13

EC 341: Monetary and Banking Institutions EC 342: Monetary and Banking Theory AC 860: Accounting for Risk and Portfolio Management FE 223: Introduction to Corporate Finance FE 323: Introduction to Corporate Finance

Sociology & Anthropology 13

PO 308: The Politics of Race and Ethnicity SO 100: Principles in Sociology SO 206: Introduction to the Sociology of Globalization SO 207: Sociology of Race and Ethnicity SO 215: Sociology of Health Care

Bioinformatics & Computational Biology 10

BF 527: Bioinformatics Foundations BF 541: Bioinformatics Internship BF 591: Bioinformatics Special Topics BF 690: Bioinformatics Challenge Project BF 700: Advanced Topics in Bioinformatics

Management Consulting & Strategy 10

PO 301: Presidential Leadership MK 470: Pricing Strategy and Tactics MK 486: Digital Marketing Strategy CM 405: Media Strategy CM 412: Advertising Strategy & Consumer Insights

Biotechnology & Genetics 10

BI 126: Human Genetics BI 203: Cell Biology BI 206: Genetics BI 213: Intensive Cell Biology BI 216: Intensive Genetics

Public Policy & Government 9

EC 333: Market Organization and Public Policy PO 141: Introduction to Public Policy PO 320: Special Topics in Public Policy PO 321: Foundations of American Public Policy PO 324: Comparative Public Policy

Biomedical Engineering 8

BE 400: Undergraduate Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering BE 404: Modern Control in Biomedical Engineering BE 420: Introduction to Solid Biomechanics BE 465: Biomedical Engineering Senior Project BE 493: Limited to biomedical engineering major s with senior standing

Public Health & Epidemiology 8

BI 114: Human Infectious Diseases BS 704: Introduction to Biostatistics BS 728: Public Health Surveillance, a Methods Based Approach BS 755: Theory of Linear Models in Biostatistics BS 810: Meta-Analysis for Public Health & Medical Research

Music Industry & Production 8

EC 332: Market Structure and Economic Performance EN 145: Introduction to Performance ME 408: Aircraft Performance and Design MK 435: Introduction to the Music Business and Music Marketing DA 400: Performance and Repertory

International Relations & Diplomacy 7

PO 151: Introduction to Comparative Politics PO 171: Introduction to International Relations IR 250: Europe and International Relations IR 251: Introduction to Comparative Politics IR 271: Introduction to International Relations

Actuarial Science & Insurance 6

CS 237: Probability in Computing MA 213: Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems FE 429: Futures, Options, and Financial Risk Management BS 818: Basic Survival Analysis BS 828: Advanced Survival Analysis

Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Research 6

CH 174: Principles of Organic Chemistry CH 201: Quantitative Analytical Chemistry Laboratory CH 203: Organic Chemistry 1 CH 204: Organic Chemistry 2 CH 211: Intensive Organic Chemistry 1

Data Science & Analytics 5

CS 105: Introduction to Databases and Data Mining CS 365: Foundations of Data Science MA 614: This course introduces basic statistical modeling techniques BF 550: Foundations of Programming, Data Analytics, and Machine Learning in Python BS 819: Logistic Regression

Electrical & Hardware Engineering 5

PY 405: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves I PY 406: Electromagnetic Fields and Waves II EC 412: Analog Electronics EC 455: Electromagnetic Systems 1 EC 456: Electromagnetic Systems 2

Mental Health & Clinical Psychology 5

CP 782: Stress and Trauma in The Early Years: Interventions with Young Children and Families CP 803: Clinical Practice with Adult Trauma CP 804: Clinical Practice with Childhood Trauma CP 809: Substance Use Disorders: Assessment and Intervention CP 814: Advanced Trauma Seminar

Nonprofit & Social Impact 5

EC 325: The Economics of Poverty and Discrimination in the United States SO 242: Globalization and World Poverty IR 242: Globalization and World Poverty AP 632: Child & Youth Advocacy ET 753: Ethics and the Social Work Profession

Film & Video Production 5

EN 155: The Myth of the Family in Classical American Literature, Film, and Television PH 159: Philosophy and Film HU 250: Supernatural Horror in American Literature and Film JO 205: Visual Storytelling JO 403: Magazine Writing and Editing

AI / Machine Learning 3

EC 414: Introduction to Machine Learning EC 418: Introduction to Reinforcement Learning BF 550: Foundations of Programming, Data Analytics, and Machine Learning in Python

Entrepreneurship & Startups 3

FE 455: Financing New Ventures HF 303: Innovation and Disruption in Hospitality HF 307: Hospitality Entrepreneurship

Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation 3

BE 420: Introduction to Solid Biomechanics HP 412: Psychopathology and Rehabilitation HP 565: Biomechanics of Human Movement

Graphic & Visual Design 3

MK 487: Branding AR 225: Sophomore Graphic Design Fall AR 226: Sophomore Graphic Design 2

Economics & Economic Research 3

EC 323: Behavioral Economics EC 348: Dynamic Macroeconomics IR 292: Fundamentals of International Economics

ESG & Impact Investing 3

AC 431: Action Learning Lab: Sustainability Reporting QSTQM 323: The course addresses sustainability reporting and is organized into three modules FE 433: ESG Investing

Robotics & Autonomous Systems 2

ME 416: Introduction to Robotics EC 402: Control Systems

FinTech & Blockchain 2

AD 528: Blockchain Finance AD 587: Interdisciplinary Methods for Quantitative Finance

Chemical & Materials Engineering 2

BE 425: Introduction to Biomedical Materials Science ME 306: Introduction to Materials Science

Environmental Engineering 2

AC 431: Action Learning Lab: Sustainability Reporting QSTQM 323: The course addresses sustainability reporting and is organized into three modules

Supply Chain & Logistics 2

ME 411: Operations Research ME 420: Supply Chain Engineering

Real Estate & Development 2

FE 469: Real Estate Finance HF 315: Fundamentals of a Hotel Real Estate Deal

Mathematics & Pure Research 2

MA 108: Mathematical Reasoning in the Elementary Grades: Algebra, Geometry, and Statistics MA 226: Differential Equations

Cybersecurity 1

CS 357: Introduction to Information Security

UX / Product Design 1

ENGEC 327: Object-oriented software design for desktop applications with a graphical user interface

Cloud Computing & DevOps 1

CS 351: Distributed Systems

Pharmacy & Drug Development 1

BS 722: Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials

Pre-Law / Legal Studies 1

SO 225: Law and Society

Fashion & Luxury Industry 1

MK 475: Luxury Brands

Physics & Astrophysics 1

PY 355: Methods of Theoretical Physics

Climate & Earth Science 1

IR 311: Climate Change and Development Policy

Education & Teaching 1

CP 809: Substance Use Disorders: Assessment and Intervention

Linguistics & Translation 1

BF 831: Translational Bioinformatics Seminar

Highest & Lowest ROI Majors at Boston University

Highest-Earning Majors

Computer Science

$108,750/yr

Engineering

$104,400/yr

Mathematics & Statistics

$89,900/yr

Lowest-Earning Majors

Visual & Performing Arts

$49,300/yr

English Language & Literature

$52,200/yr

Psychology

$52,200/yr

Popular Majors at Boston University

The most popular fields of study, ranked by the number of degrees awarded.

Social Sciences

15.8%

Business/Marketing

15.5%

Communication

13.3%

Biological Sciences

11.3%

Engineering

8.3%

Best Majors at Boston University →

Boston University Majors FAQs

What are the most popular majors at Boston University?

Boston University's most popular majors by share of degrees awarded are: Social Sciences (15.8%), Business/Marketing (15.5%), Communication (13.3%). The full ranking by graduate salary is in the table above.

Which major at Boston University pays the most?

The highest-earning major at Boston University is Computer Science, with a median 4-year-out salary of $108,750 — well above the school-wide median of $83,238.

Are some majors at Boston University harder to get into than others?

Yes. Boston University's overall acceptance rate is 10.8%, but selective programs (computer science, business, engineering, nursing) often admit at lower rates than the school-wide average. Check program-specific admission stats where available.

Should I pick my major based on salary at Boston University?

Salary should be one factor, not the only one. Major choice impacts earnings (engineering and CS typically lead) but career fit, course interest, and graduation-rate within the major also matter. The salary table above shows the median pay by program at Boston University.