Is the University of Maryland more selective than Boston University for college admissions?

Yes. Boston University is generally considered more selective overall than the University of Maryland, College Park. For a typical applicant comparing the two, BU is usually the tougher admit, while Maryland is still selective but not at the same level across the full applicant pool.

Part of that comes from BU’s applicant volume, its national and international draw, and the fact that many students apply there alongside other highly selective private universities. Maryland is a large public flagship, so it serves more in-state students and has a broader admissions landscape, even though some of its strongest programs can be quite competitive.

For a student with solid academics who is in Maryland or another nearby state, UMD may feel more attainable, especially outside the most sought-after majors or special programs. If you are looking at fields like computer science, engineering, or business, Maryland can become meaningfully more competitive than its overall reputation suggests, but BU still tends to be viewed as the more selective school in an overall head-to-head comparison.

For a student building a college list, I’d treat BU as the harder admissions reach of the two in most cases. Maryland fits more as a school where your chances may depend a lot on residency, major choice, and whether you are applying to special programs like honors or living-learning communities.