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Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · Northeast

bc.edu ↗Chestnut Hill, MA 02467Local forecast ↗
Undergraduates
10,085Fall 2024
Admission rate
16.4%Fall 2024
Tuition & fees
$70,7022024–25
Graduates in 6 yrs
90.8%2024–25

General information

Type
Four or more years, Private not-for-profit
Campus setting
City: Small
Campus housing
Yes — capacity 7,607
Student population
15,280 total · 10,083 undergraduate
Student-to-faculty
10 to 1
Highest award offered
Doctor's degree · Four or more years

Dig into the details

Choose a topic. The list stays put, so you can move between them.

Tuition, fees and estimated expenses

The published price, before any aid.

Tuition & fees / year
$70,7022024–25Excludes housing and other living expenses.
In-state vs out-of-state
Same — one published rate2024–25
Room & board, on campus
$18,9162024–25
Books & supplies
$1,250IPEDS, academic year 2023-24

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Annual campus housing and meals

$18,916

2024–25

Ask a student: What are the housing and dining tradeoffs?

What this measures

Cost of attendance: on-campus room and board. AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Financial aid

Who gets help, and how much.

Students receiving any aid
55%IPEDS, academic year 2022-23Full-time first-time degree-seeking undergraduates only.
Average grant or scholarship
$51,099IPEDS, academic year 2022-23
Students with federal loans
30%2023–24
Average loan amount
$3,580IPEDS, academic year 2022-23

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Students receiving Pell Grants

12.9%

2023–24

Ask a student: Which resources help students manage college costs?

What this measures

Percentage of undergraduates who receive a Pell Grant. AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

Students using federal loans

30%

2023–24

Ask a student: How manageable is combining campus work with coursework?

What this measures

Percent of all undergraduate students receiving a federal student loan. AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

Median federal debt among graduates who borrowed

$19,000

2020–21

Ask a student: What would you ask financial aid before committing?

What this measures

Median debt of completers, suppressed for n=30. NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts.

IPEDS Student Financial Aid component. View source ↗

Net price

What families actually pay after aid.

Average net price
$41,7042023–24First-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Family income $0–30,000
$5,851IPEDS, academic year 2022-23
Family income $48,001–75,000
$12,554IPEDS, academic year 2022-23
Family income over $110,000
$56,247IPEDS, academic year 2022-23

Budget for life here

Compare campus living with an off-campus housing benchmark before planning everyday spending.

Campus room & board
$18,916

Per academic year · 2024–25

Studio rental benchmark
$3,260

Per month · HUD FY2026

1-bedroom rental benchmark
$3,420

Per month · HUD FY2026

2-bedroom rental benchmark
$4,060

Whole apartment / month · HUD FY2026

Rental area: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area, ZIP 02467. HUD figures are 40th-percentile gross rents, not average asking rents. Basic utilities are included; phone, television, and internet are excluded. Room and board is an annual college-reported cost, not a monthly rent.

HUD rental data ↗

A night at the movies

Check local prices

One adult standard 2D evening ticket. Premium formats and booking fees vary.

A verified local price is not yet available.

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The Big Mac benchmark

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One Big Mac sandwich at regular pickup price, before tax. Excludes meals, delivery, and offers.

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Ask a student: What do you actually spend in a typical month, and where do you save?

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The numbers start the conversation. A current student can tell you what they feel like.

Average annual cost after grants

$41,704

2023–24

Ask a student: Which costs surprised you beyond tuition?

What this measures

Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid; public institutions cover in-state students. AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Enrollment

How many people are here, and who.

Total enrollment
15,280IPEDS 2023
Undergraduate
10,083IPEDS 2023
Graduate and professional
5,197IPEDS 2023
Student-to-faculty ratio
10 to 1Fall 2024Not a class size.

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Students per faculty member

10:1

Fall 2024

Ask a student: How easy is it to get help from professors?

What this measures

Undergraduate student to instructional faculty ratio. Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

Students studying part time

2.7%

Fall 2024

Ask a student: How do students balance classes with work or other responsibilities?

What this measures

Share of undergraduate, degree-/certificate-seeking students who are part-time. Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

IPEDS institutional directory. Total, undergraduate and graduate are reported together for IPEDS 2023, so they reconcile. The undergraduate figure in the key stats above is a newer College Scorecard count for Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25. View source ↗

Admissions

How selective, and what they weigh.

Admission rate
16.4%2024–25
Applicants
36,069IPEDS 2023
SAT total, middle 50%
1430–1540IPEDS 2023Reported only for admitted students who submitted a score.
Required for admission
Completion of college-preparatory program · English Proficiency Test · Personal statement or essay · Recommendations · Secondary school GPA · Secondary school recordIPEDS 2023

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Retention and graduation rates

Who comes back, and who finishes.

Graduation rate, 6 years
90.8%2024–25First-time full-time students only; excludes transfers entirely.
Graduation rate, 4 years
88%IPEDS 2023
First-year retention, full-time
96%2023–24
Transfer-out rate
7%IPEDS 2023

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First-year return rate

96%

2023–24

Ask a student: What helped you settle in during your first year?

What this measures

First-time, full-time student retention rate at four-year institutions. Fall 2023 bachelor's-seeking cohort, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard. View source ↗

Outcome measures

Eight-year results for every kind of student.

Award rate, first-time full-time
92%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohortShare of the 2015–16 entering cohort holding an award eight years later.
Award rate, first-time part-time
Not reported
Award rate, non-first-time
97%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohortStudents who transferred in or returned — the group graduation rates leave out.
Still enrolled at 8 years
0%IPEDS 2023, 2015–16 entering cohort

Student perspective

People you could talk with

First names only

These sample profiles show the kinds of conversations we are building for Boston College. Actual students and availability will appear here.

Maya

A sample perspective for students exploring Econometrics and Quantitative Economics at Boston College. Ask about classes, finding your people, and settling into life in Chestnut Hill.

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Jordan

A sample perspective for students curious about Finance, General and the choices outside class at Boston College. Bring questions about campus culture, activities, and a typical week.

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Alex

A sample perspective for students considering Biology/Biological Sciences, General at Boston College. Talk through housing, budget, and what the move to Chestnut Hill could feel like.

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Sample profiles. Actual students and availability will appear here.

Ask a student

The numbers start the conversation. A current student can tell you what they feel like.

Median earnings four years after graduation

$96,145

2022–23 earnings; 2024 dollars

Ask a student: How do students find internships and career support?

What this measures

Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled 4 years after completing. Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars.

IPEDS Outcome Measures component. View source ↗

Programs and majors

What you can study, and to what level.

Highest award
Doctor's degreeIPEDS 2023
Largest program
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics2023–24Ranked by degrees awarded, not by program quality.
Carnegie classification
Doctoral Universities: Highest Research ActivityIPEDS 2023
Academic calendar
SemesterIPEDS 2023

Top 10 majors

2023–24

Ranked by bachelor’s degrees awarded, not by program quality.

  1. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics324 awarded
  2. Finance, General209 awarded
  3. Biology/Biological Sciences, General185 awarded
  4. Speech Communication and Rhetoric172 awarded
  5. Computer Science128 awarded
  6. Accounting127 awarded
  7. Psychology, General127 awarded
  8. Political Science and Government, General113 awarded
  9. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other112 awarded
  10. Applied Psychology111 awarded

Federal program names may differ from the college’s own major names.

IPEDS Completions component. View source ↗

Servicemembers and veterans

Benefits, credit and support on campus.

Yellow Ribbon Program
YesIPEDS 2023Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit that can cover costs above the state cap.
Credit for military training
YesIPEDS 2023
Dedicated point of contact
YesIPEDS 2023
Student veteran organization
YesIPEDS 2023

IPEDS institutional directory. View source ↗

Varsity athletic teams

Association, conference and what is fielded.

National athletic association
NCAAIPEDS 2023
Primary conference
Atlantic Coast ConferenceIPEDS 2023
Sports with conference play
Baseball · Basketball · Cross country / track · FootballIPEDS 2023IPEDS records football, basketball, baseball and cross country / track only.
NCAA division
Not reported

IPEDS institutional directory. View source ↗

A year on campus

What each month actually feels like.

Warmest month
July — 85° / 64°1991–2020 normals
Coldest month
January — 37° / 19°1991–2020 normals
Wettest month
December — 5.1 in1991–2020 normalsPrecipitation includes the water equivalent of snow.
Move-in week, late August
83° / 63°1991–2020 normals

Right now on campus

Checking nearby weather…

National Weather Service ↗

Typical daily highs and lows, plus monthly precipitation. Plan for the whole school year.

Jan 37° / 19° · 3.9 in.Feb 40° / 21° · 3.6 in.Mar 47° / 28° · 4.5 in.Apr 59° / 38° · 4.3 in.May 69° / 48° · 3.6 in.Jun 79° / 58° · 4.2 in.Jul 85° / 64° · 3.5 in.Aug 83° / 63° · 3.7 in.Sep 76° / 55° · 4.0 in.Oct 64° / 43° · 5.0 in.Nov 53° / 34° · 4.0 in.Dec 42° / 26° · 5.1 in.

1991–2020 climate averages from JAMAICA PLAIN, MA US, 3.2 miles from campus. Precipitation includes the water equivalent of snow. NOAA normals may include estimated records; actual conditions vary.

NOAA climate source ↗

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals. View source ↗

About these numbers

College Scorecard release: 2026-06-10. Data retrieved: 2026-09-17. Majors: IPEDS 2023–24 bachelor’s completions. Reporting years vary by measure and are shown with each figure.

Enrollment, admissions, tuition, and graduation reporting periods
  • Enrollment of undergraduate certificate/degree-seeking students: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • Admission rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • In-state tuition and fees: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • Out-of-state tuition and fees: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.
  • Completion rate for first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions (150% of expected time to completion): Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25.

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