•   Total Fraternities: 18
•   Total Sororities: 12
•   Total Discussion: 8499
•   Total School Reviews: 20

Boston University is a large private research university packed into the urban sprawl of the city, and that setting shapes everything about how its Greek system works. BU draws a huge student body from across the country and internationally, and the Greek community is a real part of campus social life, even if it doesn't dominate the way it does at a big state school in the South.

The system is organized across multiple councils. IFC and Panhellenic cover the majority of the chapters — your more traditional fraternities and sororities. But there's also a meaningful presence from NPHC and Multicultural Greek Council organizations, which reflects BU's genuinely diverse student population. Chapters like Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Phi Iota Alpha, Sigma Beta Rho, Iota Nu Delta, and Alpha Kappa Delta Phi are all part of the picture here, making this a more multifaceted Greek community than you'd find at a lot of comparable schools.

One thing to know upfront: BU is an urban campus, so there's no traditional Greek Row. Chapters generally don't have large standalone houses the way they do at schools with sprawling residential campuses. Some have chapter floors or suites in university housing, and others operate out of off-campus spaces, but the experience is different from what you might picture at a Midwestern flagship. Social events tend to spread across the city rather than concentrating in one neighborhood.

Formal recruitment happens in the fall for most Panhellenic chapters and in both fall and spring for IFC. Given the size and pace of BU, recruitment can feel fast and a little intense, especially on the Panhellenic side where structured rounds move quickly. Interest in Greek life tends to build as the semester gets going, especially for first-year students still figuring out the social scene in a city like Boston.

Philanthropy is a consistent thread across most chapters here. BU Greeks participate in chapter-run fundraising events and service projects throughout the year, which tends to be a point of pride across the system. The active discussion and ratings history on sites like this one shows that students are engaged and paying attention to the community, even if Greek life competes for attention with everything else Boston has to offer.