- The Inkwell
- Massachusetts
- Boston College


Chestnut Hill, MACity: smallZIP 02467Founded 1863
- Sector
- Private nonprofit
- Founded
- 1863
- Carnegie class
- Doctoral: very high research activity (R1)
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Federal aid since
- 1965
- Website
- www.bc.edu
- Member of
- AJCU
MassachusettsReligious affiliationPrivate nonprofit
Boston College
Boston College is a private nonprofit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, with 10,085 undergraduates. It admits 16% of applicants, graduates 90% within six years and costs $38,930 a year after aid.
90%graduate
Admission rate16%
Retention96%
4-year graduation86%
Pell Grant share17%
Federal loans28%
$38,930net price / year
16%admission rate
1507average SAT
90%graduate in 6 years
$112,178median earnings, 10 yrs
$19,000median debt
#28 of 1,704 for earnings#1,647 of 1,739 for lowest net price#68 of 1,738 for graduation rate#62 of 1,552 for selectivity
what it costs
Cost and net price
Net price is the average annual cost after grants and scholarships for full-time students who receive federal aid; it varies with family income.
Published cost
- Cost of attendance
- $93,039tuition, fees, housing, books, per year
- Tuition & fees, in-state
- $73,508
- Tuition & fees, out-of-state
- $73,508
- Average net price
- $38,930national median $19,980
Net price by family income
$0–30,000$7,293
$30,001–48,000$10,451
$48,001–75,000$9,615
$75,001–110,000$23,616
$110,001+$61,800
getting in
Admissions and test scores
Admission
- Admission rate
- 16%national median 77%
- Average SAT
- 1507
- SAT reading, middle 50%
- 710–760
- SAT math, middle 50%
- 730–780
- ACT composite, middle 50%
- 33–35
Against the national median
Admission rate · this college16%
Admission rate · U.S. median77%
Retention · this college96%
Retention · U.S. median76%
Graduation · this college90%
Graduation · U.S. median55%
Pell share · this college17%
Pell share · U.S. median39%
after enrolling
Graduation, earnings and debt
Completion
- Graduation rate, 6 years
- 90%within 150% of normal time
- Graduation rate, 4 years
- 86%
- First-year retention
- 96%
- Award within 8 years, all students
- 90%
Earnings and debt
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $84,203
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $112,178middle 50%: $72,399–$170,850
- Median debt at graduation
- $19,000
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Earnings ten years after entry
Upper quarter$170,850
Median, Boston College$112,178
Lower quarter$72,399
U.S. median, all colleges$58,886
Former students working and not enrolled · College Scorecard
who studies here
Students and faculty
Undergraduates
- Degree-seeking undergraduates
- 10,085
- Part-time
- 2.7%
- Women / men
- 52% / 48%
- Average age at entry
- 19.5
- First-generation students
- 13%
- Pell Grant recipients
- 17%
Faculty and resources
- Student-to-faculty ratio
- 10 : 1
- Full-time faculty
- 61%
- Average faculty salary
- $18,131 / month
- Instructional spending per student
- $27,008
- Endowment, end of year
- $3,908,450,339
Race and ethnicity, undergraduates
White57%
Hispanic13%
Black5.3%
Asian11%
Two or more races5.1%
U.S. nonresident6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
Unknown2.3%
22 fields of study
Most popular fields
Share of bachelor’s degrees awarded, by broad field (CIP family).
Business & management22%
Social sciences18%
Biological & biomedical sciences14%
Psychology11%
Communication & journalism7.9%
Computer & information sciences6.1%
Health professions3.9%
Multi/interdisciplinary studies2.7%
keep comparing
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit colleges in Massachusetts
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | $19,148 | 97% | $121,957 |
| Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | $47,587 | 73% | $43,451 |
| Tufts University Medford, MA | $38,797 | 94% | $89,187 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | $43,885 | 90% | $113,513 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | $14,815 | 96% | $152,553 |
| Bentley University Waltham, MA | $38,969 | 88% | $126,427 |
Same Carnegie class, similar price
| College | Net price | Grad. | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA | $40,693 | 87% | $68,226 |
| New York University New York, NY | $35,737 | 88% | $90,957 |
| University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | $36,483 | 84% | $84,093 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | $35,780 | 94% | $125,257 |
| Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | $37,529 | 78% | $92,338 |
| George Washington University Washington, DC | $35,760 | 82% | $96,691 |
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education — institution file, most recent cohorts. UNITID 164924. Founding year, motto and memberships: Wikidata Q49118.