R1 ResearchPrivate nonprofit

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·New England·bc.edu
6-yr Graduation
91%
-1.5pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
15,432
peer median 22,846
Avg net price
$39,866
+$10k vs R1 Research
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
35,037
35,037 candidates competed
Admitted
5,755
16.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,501
43.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
91%-1.5pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
86%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
91%
Full-time retention
96%

Pell equity

6.0pp gap
Pell recipients
88%
Non-Pell
94%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 6.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 124 Title IV programs, 41 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 83 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
124
Passing
41
33.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

124programs
  • Passing41 · 33.1%
  • No Data83 · 66.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
39
No data
83

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

41
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+13.2%
$68,060 vs $60,112
History
Master's Degree · History
+23.9%
$66,787 vs $53,884
English Language and Literature General
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+29.7%
$64,159 vs $49,483
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
+45.5%
$64,786 vs $44,535
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+47.8%
$68,576 vs $46,391
Special Education and Teaching
Master's Degree · Education
+54.0%
$71,459 vs $46,391
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+54.0%
$71,427 vs $46,391
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+54.5%
$71,676 vs $46,391

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

36
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
84%
$57,416 debt · $68,060 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
71%
$51,250 debt · $71,957 earn
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
65%
$123,638 debt · $190,940 earn
English Language and Literature General
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
64%
$41,000 debt · $64,159 earn
History
Master's Degree · History
61%
$41,000 debt · $66,787 earn
Theological and Ministerial Studies
Master's Degree · Theology And Religious Vocations
47%
$30,680 debt · $64,786 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
47%
$54,889 debt · $117,616 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
42%
$30,750 debt · $73,955 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

PreaccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education

Accredited since 2025Next review Feb 2030
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1935Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 11

Action history · 9

  1. Oct 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
  2. Aug 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  3. Jun 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  4. Oct 2019Grant Substantive Change: Degree
    Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs · Nurse Anesthesia (ANEST) - Institutions and programs at the master's degree, post master's certificate or doctoral degree levels
  5. Oct 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$5,851
$30–48k$7,655
$48–75k$12,554
$75–110k$23,325
$110k+$56,247

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$39,866
+$10,310vs R1 Research median $29,556
Federal loans
32.0%
In-state tuition
$67,680
Out-of-state
$67,680

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,808 students received $11.9M in Pell grants, alongside $86.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,808
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$11.9M
$11,908,493 total
Direct Loans
$86.0M
5,787 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
2k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$9.5M
2,138 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.4M
1,001 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$27.2M
1,442 loan awards
Parent PLUS$23.0M
545 loan awards
Grad PLUS$21.9M
661 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,959 borrowers who entered repayment, 10 (0.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,959
Defaulted
10
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.5%
2017
1.2%
2018
0.9%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Boston College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs100
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

4,386 total completions
01Business
1,27429.0%
02Social Sciences
70316.0%
03Education
3928.9%
04Psychology
3768.6%
05Legal Professions
3538.0%
06Biological Sciences
3337.6%
07Public Admin
2786.3%
08Health Professions
2756.3%
09Computer Sciences
2275.2%
10Communication
1754.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
15,432
12-mo unduplicated
16,561
Undergraduate
10,548
Graduate
6,013

Gender split

Men
45%7,515
Women
55%9,046

Race / ethnicity composition

White
58.3%
Hispanic
11.6%
Asian
11.2%
Non-resident
7.2%
Black
5.4%
Two or more
3.8%
Unknown
2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
764
397 M · 367 W
Women athletes
48.0%
Athletic aid
$26.4M
Total student aid
Budget
$136.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$13.5M
$12.9M
Recruiting expense
$1.7M
$429K
Head-coach salaries
$674K
$147K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 17

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
93 M · 102 W
$3.6M
Football
131 M ·
$38.1M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
37 M · 31 W
$538K
Soccer
34 M · 29 W
$4.9M
Rowing
· 63 W
$1.5M
Ice Hockey
28 M · 26 W
$9.4M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.03
31 offenses · 15,287 students

3-year trend

2.142 yrs ago2.951 yr ago2.03Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
109
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
49
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
13

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
17
Fondling
11
Motor vehicle theft
2
Aggravated assault
1

By location

31total
  • On campus30
  • Public property1

Includes 24 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
8
Stalking
12 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons07
Drugs0139
Liquor0566

Residence-hall fires

  • Walsh1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Gabelli1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
10.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
923

Boston College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Boston College selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectBoston College
91%15,432$39,866R1 Research
Tufts University
94%11.5%13,599$35,435R1 Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
96%4.5%11,886$19,813R1 Research
Harvard University
98%3.6%30,259$16,816R1 Research
Northeastern University
91%5.2%32,553$32,116R1 Research
Boston University
89%11.1%37,737$26,996R1 Research
Peer group median93%5.2%22,846$29,556

Frequently asked questions about Boston College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Boston College.

What is the graduation rate at Boston College?

Boston College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 91% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Boston College?

Boston College reports a total enrollment of 15,432 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Boston College?

The average net price at Boston College is $39,866 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Boston College?

Boston College's yield rate is 43.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Boston College located?

Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467.

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