Transfer Acceptance Rates at Boston College, BU, Northeastern and Tufts

Comparing transfer odds across schools only works if the numbers measure the same thing. Every figure on this page comes from item D2 of each university’s own Common Data Set, which counts degree-seeking fall transfer applicants, admits and enrollees. For Boston College’s longer history, see the Boston College transfer acceptance rate page.

Fall 2024 side by side

Rates and yields are our calculations from the published counts. Yield = enrolled ÷ admitted.

How to read the differences

Size changes the picture

BU enrolled 915 fall transfers, five times BC’s 181, and drew 6,729 applicants. A large transfer program spreads offers across many majors; a small one, like BC’s or Tufts’, means each seat attracts more attention per applicant even when the admit rate looks moderate.

One year is a snapshot

BC’s own fall transfer rate has ranged from 12.8% to 33.7% since Fall 2017. In Fall 2021 and Fall 2022 BC was below 15%, which would have put it at the bottom of this table. Treat a single-year ranking as provisional, and check each school’s CDS history before drawing conclusions.

Yield hints at how often admits say yes

BC (44.1%) and Northeastern (42.7%) converted the largest share of admitted transfers into enrollees in Fall 2024, while Tufts (34.5%) converted the smallest. A higher yield generally lets a school make fewer offers for the same class size.

Entry terms, minimum credits and credit limits

The same CDS section reports the basic rules for each school. Policies can change between editions, so confirm on each admission site.

Two other details from these documents are worth knowing. BU’s CDS states that the average GPA of its accepted transfers was 3.78 on a 4.0 scale, a figure BC does not publish. Northeastern’s CDS lists 2.0/C as the lowest transferable grade, while BC’s admission page sets C- as the minimum; the full BC rules are in our GPA and credit transfer guide.

Deadlines in the same documents

Item D9 lists each school’s transfer dates as reported for the 2024–25 year. BC: March 15 for fall and November 1 for spring. BU: March 15 for fall and November 1 for spring. Northeastern lists April 1 for fall and October 1 for spring. Tufts: March 17 for fall. Dates for your cycle may differ by a day or two, so use each university’s admission site as the authority. BC’s current dates and documents are in BC transfer requirements and deadlines.

A newer data point: BU for Fall 2025

Boston University has posted its 2025–26 CDS. For Fall 2025 it reports 6,761 transfer applicants, 2,416 admits and 840 enrollees, an admit rate of about 35.7%. When we checked, BC, Northeastern and Tufts had not posted comparable Fall 2025 figures on the pages we use, so the main table stays on Fall 2024 for a fair comparison.

Using this comparison to build a transfer list

• Read each rate next to that school’s rules. A low minimum-credit threshold, as at BC, means some applicants have only one semester of college grades to show.
• If you need January entry, Tufts’ CDS lists fall as its only transfer term.
• Credit limits affect time to degree. Someone arriving with two years of credit should run the numbers for each school, including any residency requirement (BC requires four semesters).
• Write a school-specific essay for each application. BC’s single 650-word statement asks directly why you chose BC; see the BC transfer application and personal statement.