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
$41,704
+$14k vs R1 Research
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
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.

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

Pell equity

3.3pp gap
Pell recipients
88%271 of 308
Non-Pell (all)
91%1839 of 2015
Subsidized loan, no Pell
94%500 of 533
No Federal Aid
90%1339 of 1482

Non-Pell students graduate at a 3.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

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

FVT/GE

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.

DAPIP
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.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$4,284
$30–48k$7,304
$48–75k$13,112
$75–110k$19,999
$110k+$60,308

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

Avg net price (private)
$41,704
+$14,046vs R1 Research median $27,659
Federal loans
30.0%
In-state tuition
$70,702
Out-of-state
$70,702

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,808 students received $11.9M in Pell grants, alongside $93.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,808
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$11.9M
$11,904,583 total
Direct Loans
$93.0M
5,895 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
2,139 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.4M
1,005 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$31.7M
1,508 loan awards
Parent PLUS$23.1M
548 loan awards
Grad PLUS$24.4M
695 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.

Cohort Default Rate

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.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs108
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

4,266 total completions
01Business
1,29930.5%
02Social Sciences
64815.2%
03Psychology
44610.5%
04Biological Sciences
3808.9%
05Education
3387.9%
06Health Professions
2596.1%
07Public Admin
2515.9%
08Legal Professions
2245.3%
09Computer Sciences
2145.0%
10Communication
2074.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
15,432
12-mo unduplicated
16,557
Undergraduate
10,749
Graduate
5,808

Gender split

Men
46%7,612
Women
54%8,945

Race / ethnicity composition

White
56.6%
Hispanic
13.0%
Asian
11.1%
Non-resident
6.5%
Black
5.3%
Two or more
5.1%
Unknown
2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
801
421 M · 380 W
Women athletes
47.4%
Athletic aid
$27.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$142.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$14.1M
$13.0M
Recruiting expense
$2.0M
$474K
Head-coach salaries
$653K
$152K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 17

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
101 M · 102 W
$3.7M
Football
148 M · —
$41.2M
Soccer
35 M · 38 W
$4.8M
Rowing
— · 65 W
$1.6M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
36 M · 23 W
$868K
Ice Hockey
27 M · 27 W
$9.2M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.05
16 offenses · 15,280 students

3-year trend

2.952 yrs ago2.031 yr ago1.05Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
93
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
45
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
20

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
8
Rape
5
Arson
1
Burglary
1
Aggravated assault
1

By location

16total
  • On campus15
  • Public property1

Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
7
Dating violence
8
Stalking
15 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons03
Drugs076
Liquor0544

Residence-hall fires

  • Rubenstein3 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Rubenstein3 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Rubenstein3 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Walsh2 fires
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $0-$99
  • Walsh2 fires
    A student used a lighter to set fire to the contents of a trash barrel.Damage $1,000-$9,999
  • Vanderslice1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Claver/Loyola/Xavier1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Reservoir Apartments1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Thomas More Apartments3 fires
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99
  • Thomas More Apartments3 fires
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $100-$999
  • Thomas More Apartments3 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Messina South1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
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.

IPEDS
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$41,704R1 Research
Tufts University
94%11.5%13,599$39,998R1 Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
96%4.5%11,886$20,111R1 Research
Harvard University
98%3.6%30,259$19,066R1 Research
Northeastern University
91%5.2%32,553$30,915R1 Research
Boston University
89%11.1%37,737$24,402R1 Research
Peer group median93%5.2%22,846$27,659

Institutions like Boston College

Explore the federal data for institutions in Boston College's comparison group.

IPEDS

Boston College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Research & Planning
Phone
617-552-3111
Address
201 Foster Street, St. Clement's South 300, Brighton, MA 02135

Institutional Research & Planning provides data-informed intelligence and integrated planning services to advance the Boston College mission.

Visit IR office page
Team
13 members
  • Stephanie Chappe, Ph.D.
    Director, Institutional Research
  • Gareth Cleveland
    Senior Research Analyst, Institutional Research
  • Grant Cosovich
    Admin. Assistant, Institutional Research & Planning
  • Marise Fallon
    Assistant Director, Space Planning
  • Mara Hermano
    Vice President, Institutional Research & Planning
  • Shadman Islem
    Assistant Director, Institutional Research
  • Zigrida Kruckovs
    Space Planning Support Specialist
  • Sylvia Lin
    Director, Institutional Planning
  • Christiana Linera
    Director, Space Planning
  • Gabrielle Park
    Data Visualization & Analytics Specialist
  • Daniel Riehs
    Associate Director, Information Systems & Design
  • Margaret Ryan, Ph.D.
    Principal Research Associate
  • Rumiko Taira
    Space & Data Planner

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 $41,704 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.

Who runs Institutional Research at Boston College?

Boston College's IR work is done by the Institutional Research & Planning.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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