Boston University

This article is about the private university founded in 1839. For a list of universities in Boston, see List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston.
Not to be confused with Boston College.

Boston University
Latin: Universitas Bostoniensis
Former name
Newbury Biblical Institute (1838–1847)
Methodist General Biblical Institute (1847–1867)
Boston Theological Seminary (1867–1869)
Boston Theological Institute (1869–1871)
Motto"Learning, Virtue, Piety"[1]
TypePrivate research university
EstablishedApril 24, 1839; 185 years ago (April 24, 1839)[2][3]
AccreditationNECHE
Religious affiliation
Nonsectarian, but historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church[4][5][6]
Academic affiliations
Endowment$3.5 billion (2024)[7]
PresidentMelissa L. Gilliam[8]
ProvostGloria S. Waters[9]
Academic staff
4,309 (2023)[10]
Administrative staff
10,674 (2023) (including faculty)[10]
Students37,557 (2023)[10]
Undergraduates17,744 (2023)[10]
Postgraduates18,476 (2023)[10]
Other students
1,337 (2023)[10]
Location
Boston
,
Massachusetts
,
United States

42°20′56″N 71°06′01″W / 42.34889°N 71.10028°W / 42.34889; -71.10028
CampusLarge city, 169 acres (0.68 km2)
Other campuses
NewspaperThe Daily Free Press
ColorsRed and white[11]
   
NicknameTerriers
Sporting affiliations
MascotRhett the Boston Terrier
Websitebu.edu Edit this at Wikidata

Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodists with its original campus in Newbury, Vermont. It was chartered in Boston in 1869. The university is a member of the Association of American Universities and the Boston Consortium for Higher Education.[12][13]

The university is nonsectarian, though it retains its historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church.[4][5][6] The university has more than 4,000 faculty members,[14] nearly 38,000 students, and is one of Boston's largest employers.[15] It offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctorates, and medical, dental, business, and law degrees through 17 schools and colleges on three urban campuses.[16] The main campus is situated along the Charles River in Boston's Fenway–Kenmore and Allston neighborhoods, while the Boston University Medical Campus is located in Boston's South End neighborhood. The Fenway campus houses the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, formerly Wheelock College, which merged with BU in 2018.[17] The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity".[18]

BU athletic teams compete in the Patriot League and Hockey East conferences, and their mascot is Rhett the Boston Terrier. The Boston University Terriers compete in the NCAA Division I. Among its alumni and current or past faculty, the university counts 9 Nobel Laureates, 23 Pulitzer Prize winners, 10 Rhodes Scholars,[19][20] 6 Marshall Scholars,[21] 14 Academy Award winners, 11 Emmy Award winners, and 9 Tony Award winners.[22] BU also has 3 MacArthur Fellows[23] and Fulbright Scholars among its past and present graduates and faculty. In 1876, BU professor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in a BU lab.

  1. ^ "The origin of BU's motto: Learning, Virtue, Piety". BU Today. October 20, 2005. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
  2. ^ "BU Timeline". Boston University. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  3. ^ First quarter centennial of Boston university: Programs and Addresses. Boston: The Riverdale Press. 1898. pp. iii. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Boston University Names University Professor Herbert Mason United Methodist Scholar/Teacher of the Year". Boston University. 2001. Archived from the original on December 26, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2011. Boston University has been historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1839 when the Newbury Biblical Institute, the first Methodist seminary in the United States, was established in Newbury, Vermont.
  5. ^ a b Cambridge University Student Union International 2003–2004. The Hermit Kingdom Press. 2005. ISBN 978-1-59689-044-2. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2007. Emory University, an academic institution of higher education that is under the auspices of the United Methodist Church (Duke University, Boston University, Northwestern University are among other elite universities belonging to the United Methodist Church).
  6. ^ a b Kurian, George Thomas; Lamport, Mark A. (November 10, 2016). Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 1502. ISBN 978-1-4422-4432-0. Methodists-affiliated universities founded during the nineteenth century include Northwestern, Boston (University), Syracuse, Duke and Emory.
  7. ^ "Consolidated Financial Report June 30, 2024 and 2023" (PDF). Boston University. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  8. ^ As of July 1, 2024. A Conversation: Boston University President Melissa L. Gilliam on First Impressions, Challenges, and Ambitions (Report). Boston University. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  9. ^ As of July 1, 2024. About the Provost (Report). Boston University. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "Our DNA". Boston University. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  11. ^ "BU Colors". Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Boston Consortium". The Boston Consortium. Archived from the original on April 14, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAU was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ "BU Facts & Stats | Office of the President". bu.edu. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  15. ^ "The Boston Economy 2008 Holding Strong" (PDF). Boston Redevelopment Authority – Research Division. September 2008. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2009. Largest Private Employers in Boston, April, 2006 (With 1,000+ employees, listed alphabetically)
  16. ^ "About BU". Boston University. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  17. ^ "Take a Virtual Tour of BU's New Fenway Campus". Boston University. October 17, 2018. Archived from the original on January 5, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  18. ^ "The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education". Indiana University Bloomington's Center for Postsecondary Research. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  19. ^ "Past Winners » Fellowships & Scholarships – Boston University". bu.edu. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  20. ^ "Rhodes Scholars". bu.edu. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  21. ^ "Statistics". marshallscholarship.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  22. ^ "Rankings & Achievements | College of Fine Arts". www.bu.edu. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  23. ^ "All Fellows - MacArthur Foundation". www.macfound.org. Retrieved May 19, 2024.