A private Catholic Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, MA, admitting 16.43% of applicants with $103,937 median earnings at ten years.
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Boston College is a private Catholic Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, founded in 1863. It enrolls 10,085 undergraduates and 5,118 graduate students across the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the Carroll School of Management, the Lynch School of Education and Human Development, and the Connell School of Nursing. Social sciences, business, biology, and communication account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees.
Boston College holds accreditation through the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE) and a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity (R1) Carnegie classification. Boston College is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. The Jesuit educational tradition at Boston College emphasizes a core curriculum including philosophy and theology, service and community engagement, and the integration of intellectual and ethical development.
Official website: bc.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), Boston College scores 73.01 overall, rated Good. Outcomes (95.80) reflects a 90.83% six-year graduation rate and ten-year earnings of $103,937. Value scores 41.96 and Affordability scores 4.15, the weakest pillars, driven by an average net price of $41,704 and a federal loan rate of 29.96%. All scores use verified federal data only.
Boston College admits 16.43% of applicants. Boston College is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. Students who submit scores typically average 1,507 on the SAT, with the middle 50% ACT range between 33 and 35. Boston College uses the Common App with required supplemental essays.
The Early Decision deadline is November 1 (binding); the Regular Decision deadline is January 1. Applicants apply to one of the four undergraduate schools; Carroll School of Management is the most competitive application track. Boston College's admissions review places emphasis on academic achievement, community service, and alignment with the university's Jesuit mission.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Boston College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Boston College charges $70,702 in tuition plus $18,916 in room and board, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $89,618 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $41,704, among the highest at any selective private university in this peer group. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $4,284.
For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $7,304. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $19,999. For families earning above $110,000, it averages $60,308. Boston College does not have a no-loan aid policy; the federal loan rate of 29.96% and median debt of $19,000 reflect loan-inclusive aid packages.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $80 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
Boston College completes the large majority of the students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 90.83% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. The four-year rate is 88.42%, and first-year retention stands at 95.69%. Boston College's federal loan rate of 29.96% is among the highest in this peer group, reflecting that aid packages include loans and that the average net price is high even for middle-income families.
Boston College graduates earn above the national median for private research universities. Median earnings are $85,717 six years after first enrolling and $103,937 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 94.26% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Boston College's strong placement in Boston's finance, consulting, healthcare, and technology sectors drives the ten-year figure past $100,000. Carroll School of Management graduates, who enter finance and consulting in high concentrations, typically earn above the institutional median.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Boston College enrolls 10,085 undergraduates on its residential campus in Chestnut Hill, a suburban neighborhood with access to Boston via commuter rail and the Green Line. White students account for 56.65% of undergraduates; Asian 11.14%, Hispanic 12.95%, and Black 5.28%. Thirteen percent of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 13.19% are first-generation college students, both below average for this peer group. Boston is one of the most concentrated higher education and healthcare markets in the world, with major employers in financial services, life sciences, technology, and consulting within commuting distance of the Boston College campus.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Boston College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Boston College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 107 distinct programs across 24 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
Boston College operates at a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 60.87% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, one of the lower rates in this peer group. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $27,008 per year. The endowment stands at $3.91 billion. Boston College Law School, the Woods College of Advancing Studies, and the Connell School of Nursing contribute to graduate and professional programs. The Carroll School of Management holds AACSB accreditation and is the primary feeder for Boston College's strong placement in finance and consulting.
893 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 331 | 37% | $208,598 |
| Associate Professors | 281 | 31% | $133,168 |
| Assistant Professors | 189 | 21% | $128,255 |
| Instructors | 67 | 8% | $94,819 |
| Lecturers | 25 | 3% | $124,708 |
Boston College's defining strengths are its ten-year earnings of $103,937, Boston location with exceptional access to finance, consulting, and healthcare employers, a loyal Jesuit alumni network, and a selective 16.43% admit rate. UCD 73.01 Good.
The challenges are primarily financial: the average net price of $41,704 is the highest in this peer group, above Georgetown ($40,815) and significantly above Vanderbilt ($15,846) or Rice ($13,370); the federal loan rate of 29.96% is the second highest in this peer group; and the full-time faculty rate of 60.87% is below most peers. Best fit for students who value a Catholic Jesuit environment, want strong access to Boston-area finance, consulting, and healthcare employers, and who either qualify for meaningful need-based aid or are full-pay.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about Boston College: how selective admissions are, how the Catholic identity shapes campus life, how cost compares to peer schools, and what graduates earn.
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
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