Admit rate has ranged 16%–27% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Boston College blends Jesuit tradition with academic rigor and a tight-knit community vibe. Known for its strong liberal arts core and powerhouse business and economics programs, BC attracts ambitious students who balance intellectual curiosity with a spirited social scene—think 'work hard, play hard' with a side of service. Its suburban campus offers a leafy retreat just six miles from Boston’s opportunities.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
10,085
In-state tuition
$70,702
Out-of-state tuition
$70,702
Location
Chestnut Hill, MA (6 miles from Boston)
Campus Vibe
Work hard, play hard
Acceptance Rate
16.2%
Graduation Rate
91%
Most Popular Majors
Economics, Biology, Finance
Student-Faculty Ratio
12:1
Avg Financial Aid Package
$56,400
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$103,937
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.5×
Median debt at graduation
$19,000
Graduation rate
91%
First-year retention
96%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
91%
Pell (lower-income) share
32%
First-generation share
13%
Endowment / student
$387,551
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer Science$84,100
Information Science/Studies$76,460
Finance and Financial Management Services$75,518
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$71,015
Mathematics$70,596
Accounting and Related Services
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
6
Per 1,000 students
0.59
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
91
Summer high
81°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
49"
Annual snow
31.4"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
571
Scholarly works
47,123
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.6%
Bottom → top quintile
56%
From bottom quintile
3%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Boston College?
Boston College's acceptance rate is approximately 16% (Chestnut Hill, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Boston College?
Admitted students at Boston College typically score 1440–1540 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Boston College cost?
At Boston College, the average net price (after aid) is about $41,704 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Boston College?
Boston College enrolls approximately 10,085 undergraduate students.
Where is Boston College located?
Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, MA.
Admissions
Getting into Boston College is increasingly competitive, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering around 16.2% for the 2024-2025 cycle—a stark drop from its historically more accessible past. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1440-1520, and 94% ranked in the top 10% of their high school class. BC’s Early Decision acceptance rate is slightly higher, though the school has been slow to release recent ED data. Demographics skew slightly female (53%) with a heavy emphasis on academic achievement and extracurricular impact.
Key stats: 39,686 applicants for 2,479 spots
Test scores: 25th percentile SAT 1440, 75th percentile 1520
BC’s core curriculum is a hallmark, forcing students into interdisciplinary exploration—think theology alongside philosophy and lab sciences. The most popular majors are , , and , reflecting both pre-professional ambitions and the strength of the Carroll School of Management. Classes are small (average 20 students), and the liberal arts ethos means even business majors grapple with Aristotle.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$69,937
Economics$69,069
Business Administration, Management and Operations$63,997
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
economics (14%)
biology (8%)
finance (7%)
Notable programs: Top-ranked finance, psychology, and political science departments
Core requirements: Theology, philosophy, natural science, and arts
Social life orbits around dorms, sports, and off-campus bars, with a ‘work hard, play hard’ ethos. The party scene exists but is heavily policed, pushing much of the action to Allston’s dive bars. Over 300 clubs range from a cappella groups to finance societies, and service organizations like Appalachia Volunteers are huge. Campus traditions include the Beanpot hockey tournament and Marathon Monday.
Housing: 85% of undergrads live on campus
Athletics: D1 hockey (a religion here) and tailgates at Alumni Stadium
Arts: Strong theater and music programs, with frequent performances
BC’s 91% graduation rate (top 5% nationally) and 96.6% employment/grad school rate speak to its ROI. Pell Grant students graduate at rates rivaling Yale’s (95.7%), and alumni often land in finance (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan), consulting, or top law/med schools. The average starting salary hovers around $70,000, with finance majors pulling significantly higher.
Top employers: Deloitte, PwC, Boston Children’s Hospital
Grad schools: Georgetown, Columbia, BC Law common destinations
At $80,000+ per year, BC is pricey, but 59% of students receive aid, with an average package of $56,400. Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements. covers full demonstrated need, and the MyinTuition calculator helps families estimate costs. Budget for extras like travel (up to $1,800) and Boston’s high cost of living.
Total COA: ~$85,000 (tuition + room/board)
Aid breakdown: 45% get grants, average $33,072
Loans: 44% borrow, but average debt is below national avg
BC merges Jesuit values (think ‘men and women for others’) with Wall Street ambitions, creating a rare breed of ethically minded strivers. Its suburban campus feels like a cloister, but the T whisks students into Boston for internships at State Street or the MFA. The alumni network is fiercely loyal, and the hockey team’s rivalry with BU is the stuff of legend. For students who want top-tier academics without Ivy League pretension, BC delivers.
Boston College logo · sourceAbout - Lynch School of Education and Human Development - Boston College · sourceBoston College - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · sourceEver to Excel: A History of Boston College · source
