Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
About Boston College
Boston College is a selective private research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, with about 10,085 students. Admission is selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 16.43% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $103,937 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Boston College charges about 2.4× the national private non-profit median tuition ($70,702).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is about 2.1×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 90.83%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $103,937.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Boston College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 523% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Boston College awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 92 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | $70,702 | $41,704 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Massachusetts (state median) | $34,256 | $12,244 | 93 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 41% below published tuition at Boston College
Key findings
- Boston College's average net price ($41,704) is 41% below published tuition ($70,702).
- Boston College charges about 2.4× the national private non-profit median tuition ($70,702).
- Versus the Massachusetts median, sticker tuition is about 2.1×.
Boston College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $70,702
Finding Boston College charges about 2.4× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $70,702. That is about 2.4× the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Massachusetts median ($34,256), sticker tuition is about 2.1×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 5.9×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Boston College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Boston College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Boston College is $41,704.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $41,704 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $29,460 above the Massachusetts median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $26,733 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Boston College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 41% lower after grants and scholarships.
Boston College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Boston College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$70,702
Avg. net price
$41,704
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $4,284 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $7,304 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $13,112 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $19,999 |
| $110,001+ | $60,308 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $282,808. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Boston College is known for
Top program completions
- Finance, General474
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics451
- Law341
- Social Work278
- Business Administration and Management, General217
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Highly selective — fewer than 3 in 10 applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 41% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1507
- Midpoint ACT: 34
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Boston College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Boston College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Boston College.
Campus
Location
Chestnut Hill, MA
City / state
- ZIP
- 02467
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is about 2.8× the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- New England
- Carnegie
- Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Size
Enrollment
10,085
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 10,749
- Graduate
- 5,118
- Full-time share
- 97%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$19,000
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 12.91%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Boston College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Boston College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Boston College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $45,622 | $45,622 | $33,070 |
| 2014 | $47,436 | $47,436 | $33,464 |
| 2015 | $49,324 | $49,324 | $33,661 |
| 2016 | $51,296 | $51,296 | $34,356 |
| 2017 | $53,346 | $53,346 | $34,550 |
| 2018 | $55,464 | $55,464 | $33,562 |
| 2019 | $57,910 | $57,910 | $35,899 |
| 2020 | $60,202 | $60,202 | $36,599 |
| 2021 | $61,706 | $61,706 | $38,412 |
| 2022 | $64,176 | $64,176 | $39,090 |
| 2023 | $67,680 | $67,680 | $39,866 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is highly selective, accepting fewer than 3 in 10 applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1507 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 34 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 4.00
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Boston College reported total enrollment of about 10,085 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 48% male and 52% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (56.6%), Hispanic or Latino (13.0%), and Asian (11.1%). About 12.91% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 13.2% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
97.3% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Boston College in 2024 is 10,085 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 10,749 students. Graduate enrollment is about 5,118 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
96.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
86.44% 100% Completion Time
90.83% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 86.44% of students graduating from Boston College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Finance, General: 78% male / 22% female
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics: 64% male / 36% female
- Law: 44% male / 56% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Boston College graduates earn a median of $103,937 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Boston College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $103,937. Median federal loan debt: $19,000. Average net price used in cost models: $41,704.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Boston College graduates report median earnings of $103,937 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Boston College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (92 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Boston College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Boston College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Boston College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$3.55B
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Massachusetts median 57× the median ($62.1M)
- New England median 83× the median ($42.9M)
- U.S. median 134× the median ($26.4M)
- Massachusetts median 8.7× the median ($30,011)
- New England median 11× the median ($23,268)
- U.S. median 22× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 60.9%
- Massachusetts median 9.8 pp above median (51.1%)
- New England median 7.6 pp above median (53.3%)
- U.S. median 2.9 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $18,131
- Massachusetts median 1.9× the median ($9,649)
- New England median 2.0× the median ($9,262)
- U.S. median 2.4× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $27,008
- Massachusetts median 2.4× the median ($11,192)
- New England median 2.7× the median ($10,182)
- U.S. median 3.7× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Boston College at a glance
Boston College
Boston College is a private non-profit institution in Chestnut Hill, MA, classified as Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Finance, GeneralEconometrics and Quantitative EconomicsLaw
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian56.6%Hispanic or Latino13.0%Asian11.1%
Schools near Boston College
Other campuses in Chestnut Hill, MA when available, plus nearby institutions in Massachusetts.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within Massachusetts, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Boston College located?
Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, MA.
What is Boston College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Boston College is 16.4% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 36,069 applicants and 5,645 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Boston College's tuition?
Boston College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $70,702 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $41,704 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Boston College cost?
Reported tuition is $70,702 and average net price is $41,704 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $18,916 annually.
Why is Boston College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Boston College, published tuition is $70,702 while average net price is $41,704—about 41% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Boston College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($41,704), completion (90.8% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($103,937). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Boston College?
Boston College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 10,749 students, White (56.6%), Hispanic or Latino (13.0%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Boston College?
About 13.2% of students at Boston College are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Boston College?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Boston College reports midpoint SAT about 1507 and midpoint ACT about 34.
What do graduates of Boston College earn?
Median earnings are $85,717 six years after entry and $103,937 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Boston College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 90.8% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Boston College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $19,000.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- Massachusetts college profile
- Massachusetts college costs
- Massachusetts colleges by ROI
- Northeastern University vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst vs Boston College
- New England regional profile
- Town college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in Massachusetts
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.