Northeastern vs Boston University: which has smaller class sizes for undergraduates?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Northeastern tends to feel a bit smaller and more discussion-friendly in the undergraduate classroom experience, while Boston University often feels more like a large urban research university with more big lecture exposure, especially early on. At both schools, intro courses can be sizable, but Northeastern is more often described by students as having a somewhat more manageable class-size feel overall. BU has plenty of small upper-level classes too, but the average student is more likely to run into larger sections along the way.

For undergraduates, Northeastern is usually the safer bet if smaller classes are a top priority.

At BU, class size can vary a lot by school and major. Programs like Questrom, CAS, and engineering can include large foundational lectures, with smaller discussion sections or labs attached. As you get into advanced coursework, BU absolutely offers smaller classes, but the overall feel for many undergrads is still bigger and more lecture-heavy than Northeastern.

If your question is simply which school is more likely to give the average undergraduate a smaller-class experience, I’d lean Northeastern. BU is not unusually impersonal for a university its size, but Northeastern more consistently matches what students mean when they say they want classes where they can regularly ask questions and participate.