Boston University is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, and is historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
The university was established in 1839 by a group of prominent Boston citizens including John Amory Lowell, to be a non-sectarian institution free from the control of any church or government body. At its founding, only men were permitted to enroll. In 1847, the school became coeducational and admitted women; at about the same time, it opened its doors to African Americans as well as Asians.
Actually, Boston University has more than 30,000 students on four campuses in the city of Boston: Charles River Campus (on Commonwealth Avenue), College of Arts & Sciences (on Bay State Road), Medical Campus (on Harrison Avenue), and South Campus (in Brighton). It also has satellite campuses outside Boston in Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts; Lincolnshire, Illinois; and Watertown and Cambridge, Massachusetts; as well as international campuses in Paris and Prague.
Boston University is known for its research and teaching. The school has a strong focus on the liberal arts and sciences, and is one of the largest private research universities in the country. The university’s undergraduate programs are highly selective – about 22 percent of applicants are admitted each year. BU also offers a diverse array of graduate degrees, including MBA programs, law degrees, and doctorates in medicine, dentistry, public health, business administration and many more.
