PhD & MFA: Cost of Attendance

The Cost of Attendance (COA), also referred to as the student’s budget, is used to determine the maximum amount of financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) a student can receive for any given award period. The Cost of Attendance does not represent actual charges to the student’s account. You can easily view all of your actual charges by using the MyBU Student Portal.

If you enroll in Boston University’s Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), you may also add this cost to the total. The premium for the 2024-2025 academic year is $3,401 for the BASIC plan and $4,567 for the PLUS plan. Additional information regarding insurance can be found at Student Accounting Services.

To determine your total cost of attendance, add the cost of tuition and fees (as either a full-time or a part-time student) to the Standard Living Expenses listed below. Example: The Cost of Attendance for a full-time graduate student enrolled in the basic Student Health Insurance Plan is $95,607 ($69,870 in tuition, $1,002 in fees, $3,401 for insurance (exact amount TBD), and $21,334 for standard living expenses).

2025-26 Full-Time Students by Enrollment

2025-26 Full-Time Students by Fellowship or Certification

2025-26 Part-Time Students by Enrollment

2025-26 Standard Living Expenses (9 months, September to May)

Standard Living Expenses are not billed to the student; they are an estimate of average educational and living expenses and are used to determine the amount of financial aid a student can receive.

* An average of the origination fees for the Federal Direct Loan that applies to all students regardless of whether the loan is borrowed.