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Bu (Boston University) Review

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Should I use Bu (Boston University)?

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· 11 hours ago

This is Boston University, a university homepage — not a software product, so there is nothing to buy or deploy. It's a fit only if you're choosing where to enroll and can absorb ~$62,848/yr tuition; software buyers should move on.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 12+ public sources; bu.edu is a university homepage, not a software product page, so fit is judged as an enrollment decision.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo reliable evidence
  • Security posture

Pricing

$62,848/yr

Undergraduate tuition

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo
BU MET (professional/graduate)Varies by program

Best for

  • Prospective undergrads wanting a big-city research school
  • Grad students seeking funded research labs
  • Study-abroad and internship program participants

Not for

  • Software buyers — this is a university, not a tool
  • Budget-conscious students: tuition alone is $62,848/yr
  • Anyone expecting SaaS pricing, tiers, or a free plan
  • Teams shopping for CRM, analytics, or productivity software

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Total cost of attendance runs well above tuition once housing and fees are added

high

2021 vendor (Blackbaud) breach exposed BU community data — third-party vendor risk is real

high

2024 breach exposed Framingham Heart Study participant data held by BU

low

BU-branded WordPress plugin had XSS flaw (CVE-2024-56018) if you run their software

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Founded 1839; long-established research university
  • Active funded research, e.g. $2.8M NIH grant (2026)
  • Well-reviewed study-abroad internships; Sydney reviewer: 'I Want to Go Back'
  • Dedicated campus safety infrastructure and police

Cons

  • Tuition alone is $62,848/yr before aid
  • Three reported data breaches since 2020
  • Scheduling tools weak enough that a student built an unofficial alternative
  • Graduate student workers went on strike in 2024
  • Mixed student sentiment on whether it's worth the money

Sources & method

- 12 sources - Multiple reported breaches since 2020 (2020 hack, 2021 Blackbaud vendor breach, 2024 research-data theft) plus one CVE in a BU WordPress plugin.

official x2review x4security x3news x3
  • Framingham Heart Study data breach (2024), Hackers obtained personal data of BU Framingham Heart Study participants.
  • Blackbaud vendor breach (2021), BU community data was stolen via third-party vendor Blackbaud.
  • 2020 breach affecting BU and Emerson, Hackers accessed personal information from BU and Emerson students.
  • CVE-2024-56018: BU Section Editing XSS, Cross-site scripting vulnerability in BU's Section Editing WordPress plugin.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • $62,848/yr

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. High tuition; students question worth
  • Ease of use: 2/5. Student built unofficial schedule alternative
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Broad programs, funded research, study abroad
  • Support quality. No reliable evidence
  • Security posture: 2/5. Breaches 2020–2024; plugin CVE
  • $62,848/yr Undergrad tuition Before aid
  • 1839 Founded Private research university
  • 3 since 2020 Reported breaches 2020 hack, 2021 Blackbaud, 2024 study data
  • No Free tier Degree program, not software

Pricing

Undergraduate tuition

$62,848/yr

  • Full-time tuition before aid
  • BU Promise aid program per admissions

BU MET (professional/graduate)

Varies by program

  • Separate MET tuition schedule
  • See MET page for details

Security

Multiple reported breaches since 2020 (2020 hack, 2021 Blackbaud vendor breach, 2024 research-data theft) plus one CVE in a BU WordPress plugin.

  • Framingham Heart Study data breach (2024)Hackers obtained personal data of BU Framingham Heart Study participants.³
  • Blackbaud vendor breach (2021)BU community data was stolen via third-party vendor Blackbaud.⁴
  • 2020 breach affecting BU and EmersonHackers accessed personal information from BU and Emerson students.
  • CVE-2024-56018: BU Section Editing XSSCross-site scripting vulnerability in BU's Section Editing WordPress plugin.⁵
Full analysis

Based on 12+ public sources; bu.edu is a university homepage, not a software product page, so fit is judged as an enrollment decision.

Not a product: Boston University, founded 1839. Tuition $62,848/yr, 3 breaches since 2020. Enroll if a student, not a buyer.

Methodology

Based on 12+ public sources; bu.edu is a university homepage, not a software product page, so fit is judged as an enrollment decision.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Tuition & Fees | Student Financialsbu.edu
    official
  2. Boston University - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
    official
  3. Hackers Obtained the Data of BU Framingham Heart Study Participantshipaajournal.com
    security
  4. BU community data stolen in Blackbaud cyber attackdailyfreepress.com
    security
  5. CVE-2024-56018: BU Section Editing XSS Vulnerabilitysentinelone.com
    security
  6. Is BU worth the money : r/BostonUreddit.com
    review
  7. Workload and difficulty : r/BostonUreddit.com
    review
  8. BU Sydney Internship Program reviewstudyabroad101.com
    review
  9. BU student builds unofficial schedule builder alternativedailyfreepress.com
    news
  10. BU graduate student workers on strikenbcboston.com
    news
  11. BU professors receive $2.8M NIH granteurekalert.org
    news
  12. BU Cost of Attendance: Full Breakdownguidetobu.com
    review

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