Boston College

www.bc.edu

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2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$56,780

3.99% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$28,354

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

1.23%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

27.2%

35,552 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

14,747

88.7% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

91.9%

2,099 Graduates

About

Boston College is a higher education institution located in Middlesex County, MA. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Boston College were Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (357 degrees awarded), General Finance (303 degrees), and Speech Communication & Rhetoric (221 degrees).

In 2019, 4,838 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston College. 54.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 45.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,869 degrees), 7.3 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (393 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston College is $56,780, which is $28,280 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

Photo by Jim McIntosh

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston College is $56,780, which is $28,280 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $28,354.

In 2019, 48% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 37% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$56,780

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at Boston College was $56,780. The cost of tuition at Boston College is $28,280 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Boston College (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$28,354

2019 Value

6.73%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 Boston College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $28,354. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of Boston College grew by 6.73%.

This chart compares the average net price of Boston College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$12,789

Room and Board

$1,250

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston College was of $12,789 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,250. The cost of room and board increased by 3.17% between 2018 and 2019. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Boston College (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

48%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

37%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

48% of undergraduate students at Boston College received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a growth of 6.67% with respect to 2018, when 45% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Boston College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.23%

2017 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at Boston College was 1.23%, which represents 25 out of the 2033 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Boston College received 35,552 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 14.4% annual growth. Out of those 35,552 applicants, 9,679 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 27.2% acceptance rate.

There were 14,747 students enrolled at Boston College in 2019, and 67% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston College has an overall enrollment yield of 23.7%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

27.2%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

9,679

Accepted Out of 35,552

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston College was 27.2% (9,679 admissions from 35,552 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 27.9%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants grew by 14.4%, while admissions grew by 11.7%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Boston College (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

67%

Submission Percentage

1,532

Scores Submitted

67% of enrolled first-time students at Boston College in 2019 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Boston College has a total enrollment of 14,747 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston College is 13,077 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,670. This means that 88.7% of students enrolled at Boston College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 56.1% White, 9.83% Hispanic or Latino, 8.94% Asian, 3.99% Black or African American, 3.17% Two or More Races, 0.061% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0271% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Boston College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (29.8%), followed by White Male (27.2%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (6.61%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (32.1%), followed by White Male (21%) and Asian Female (4.05%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

88.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 14,747 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston College is 13,077 and the part-time enrollment is 1,670. This means that 88.7% of students enrolled at Boston College are enrolled full-time compared with 77.6% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Boston College (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

95%

2019 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. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Boston College was 95%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (83%), Boston College had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Boston College (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
8,280
Hispanic or Latino
1,450
Asian
1,318

The enrolled student population at Boston College is 56.1% White, 9.83% Hispanic or Latino, 8.94% Asian, 3.99% Black or African American, 3.17% Two or More Races, 0.061% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0271% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50.3% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.48% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 949 students (6.44%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 476 more women than men received degrees from Boston College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Boston College is white (2,869 degrees awarded). There were 7.3 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (393 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston College is Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (357 degrees awarded), followed by General Finance (303 degrees) and Speech Communication & Rhetoric (221 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Boston College, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Philosophy and Religious Studies (78 degrees awarded), Legal (254 degrees), and Theology (130 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston College are Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (333,515 people), Other managers (239,180 people), Social workers, all other (215,466 people), Clergy (128,714 people), and Elementary & middle school teachers (119,656 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston College are Philosophy and Religious Studies (78 degrees awarded), Legal (254 degrees), Theology (130 degrees), Social Sciences (717 degrees), and Public Administration and Social Service (274 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston College are Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, Public relations specialists, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, and Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

Common Industries by Major

Elementary & secondary schools

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Boston College are Elementary & secondary schools (341,679 people), Legal services (269,560 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (263,642 people), Justice, public order, & safety activities (201,063 people), and Individual & family services (170,946 people).

Degrees

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Boston College.

Most Common

Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
357 degree-majorss awarded
General Finance
303 degree-majorss awarded
Speech Communication & Rhetoric
221 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston College was Econometrics & Quantitative Economics with 357 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Boston College according to their major.

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

2,181

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

2,657

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 2,181 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College, which is 0.821 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,657).

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at Boston College by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 304 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College in General Finance, which is 2.92 times more than the 104 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 235 degrees were awarded to women at Boston College in Social Work, which is 6.03 times more than the 39 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

88%

100% Completion Time

92%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 88% of students graduating from Boston College completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 92% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 93% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Two or More Races Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Boston College is Male and Two or More Races (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 5.43% of graduates (114 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
2,869 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
393 degrees awarded
Asian
375 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston College is white (2,869 degrees awarded). There were 7.3 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (393 degrees).

5.83% of degree recipients (282 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Female
1,549 degrees awarded
White Male
1,320 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
226 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at Boston College is white female (1,549 degrees awarded). There were 1.17 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,320 degrees).

Operations

Boston College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.43B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $−NaNM (−0.353%), compared to the 4.24% average return ($13.2M on $311M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2019, Boston College had a total salary expenditure of $865M. Boston College employs 307 Associate professors, 288 Professors, and 198 Assistant professors. Most academics at Boston College are Male Professors (192), Male Associate professors(161), and Female Associate professors (146).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston College are: Management, with 522 employees, Service, with 465 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 359 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$2.43B

2019 Endowment

3.25%

decline from 2018

Boston College has an endowment valued at about $2.43B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston College declined 3.25% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.12B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Boston College (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$37.5M - Federal
$1.32M - State
$6.03M - Local

As of 2019, Boston College received $37.5M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $1.32M from state grants and contracts, and $6.03M from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$383M

2019 Salaries

3.1%

growth from 2018

In 2019, Boston College paid a median of $383M in salaries, which represents 44.2% of their overall expenditure ($865M) and a 3.1% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 4.03% growth from 2017 and a 3.97% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.4% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$123M

Instructional Salaries

878

Number of Employees

In 2019, Boston College paid a total of $123M to 878 employees working as instructors, which represents 32.2% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71.1M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

307 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

522 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston College were Associate professor with 307 employees; Professor with 288 employees; and Professor with 198 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston College were Management with 522 employees; Service with 465 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 359 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston College was Male Professor with 192 employees, Male Associate professor with 161 employees, and Female Associate professor with 146 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at Boston College.

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