Boston College

www.bc.edu

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$59,050

4% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$30,192

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

0.91%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

26.4%

29,382 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

14,934

87.2% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

91.7%

2,140 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 General Finance (344 degrees awarded), Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (304 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (213 degrees).

In 2020, 4,890 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Boston College. 54.7% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 45.3% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,848 degrees), 6.33 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (450 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston College is $59,050, which is $30,421 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

Photo by Jim McIntosh

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Boston College is $59,050, which is $30,421 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $30,192.

In 2020, 48% of undergraduate students attending Boston College received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 36% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$59,050

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at Boston College was $59,050. The cost of tuition at Boston College is $30,421 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

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

Average Net Price

$30,192

2020 Value

6.48%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 Boston College had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $30,192. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of Boston College grew by 6.48%.

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

$13,188

Room and Board

$1,250

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Boston College was of $13,188 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,250. The cost of room and board increased by 3.12% between 2019 and 2020. 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%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

36%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

48% of undergraduate students at Boston College received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2019, when 48% 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.

0.91%

2018 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at Boston College was 0.91%, which represents 18 out of the 1978 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 29,382 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 17.4% annual decline. Out of those 29,382 applicants, 7,752 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 26.4% acceptance rate.

There were 14,934 students enrolled at Boston College in 2020, and 64% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Boston College has an overall enrollment yield of 31.1%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

26.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

7,752

Accepted Out of 29,382

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Boston College was 26.4% (7,752 admissions from 29,382 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 27.2%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −17.4%, while admissions declined by −19.9%.

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

SAT Scores

64%

Submission Percentage

1,539

Scores Submitted

64% of enrolled first-time students at Boston College in 2020 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 14,934 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston College is 13,028 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,906. This means that 87.2% of students enrolled at Boston College are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Boston College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 53.2% White, 9.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.53% Asian, 4.08% Black or African American, 3.27% Two or More Races, 0.0335% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0268% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Boston College in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (30.6%), followed by White Male (27.3%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (6.38%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (26.8%), followed by White Male (18.7%) and Asian Female (3.3%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

87.2%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Boston College, both undergraduate and graduate, is 14,934 students. The full-time enrollment at Boston College is 13,028 and the part-time enrollment is 1,906. This means that 87.2% of students enrolled at Boston College are enrolled full-time compared with 76.4% 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

93%

2020 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 93%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84.5%), 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
7,938
Hispanic or Latino
1,374
Asian
1,274

The enrolled student population at Boston College is 53.2% White, 9.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.53% Asian, 4.08% Black or African American, 3.27% Two or More Races, 0.0335% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0268% 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 49.8% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.74% 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, 1,672 students (11.2%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 460 more women than men received degrees from Boston College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Boston College is white (2,848 degrees awarded). There were 6.33 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (450 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Boston College is General Finance (344 degrees awarded), followed by Econometrics & Quantitative Economics (304 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (213 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 (116 degrees awarded), Legal (268 degrees), and Theology (108 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Elementary & middle school teachers

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 Elementary & middle school teachers (157,915 people), Postsecondary teachers (133,258 people), Clergy (114,239 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (111,332 people), and Other managers (94,251 people).

The most specialized majors at Boston College are Philosophy and Religious Studies (116 degrees awarded), Legal (268 degrees), Theology (108 degrees), Math & Statistics (191 degrees), and English (170 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

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 Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Aerospace engineers, Physicians, and Chief executives & legislators

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 (335,738 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (238,390 people), Religious organizations (132,916 people), Computer Systems Design (121,275 people), and Legal services (104,580 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

General Finance
344 degree-majorss awarded
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics
304 degree-majorss awarded
General Biological Sciences
213 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Boston College was General Finance with 344 degrees awarded.

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

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

2,215

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

2,675

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 2,215 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College, which is 0.828 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,675).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 268 degrees were awarded to men at Boston College in General Finance, which is 2.25 times more than the 119 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 182 degrees were awarded to women at Boston College in Social Work, which is 4.67 times more than the 39 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

88%

100% Completion Time

92%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 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 Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Boston College is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

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, 2.62% of graduates (56 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
2,848 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
450 degrees awarded
Asian
435 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Boston College is white (2,848 degrees awarded). There were 6.33 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (450 degrees).

5.56% of degree recipients (272 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
1,541 degrees awarded
White Male
1,307 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
265 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Boston College is white female (1,541 degrees awarded). There were 1.18 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,307 degrees).

Operations

Boston College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.58B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $137M (5.32%), compared to the 3.48% average return ($10.5M on $302M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, Boston College had a total salary expenditure of $870M. Boston College employs 297 Associate professors, 294 Professors, and 205 Assistant professors. Most academics at Boston College are Male Professors (197), Male Associate professors(154), and Female Associate professors (143).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston College are: Management, with 537 employees, Service, with 456 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 329 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$2.58B

2020 Endowment

5.98%

growth from 2019

Boston College has an endowment valued at about $2.58B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of Boston College grew 5.98% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $2.28B 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

$35.6M - Federal
$1.46M - State
$5.48M - Local

As of 2020, Boston College received $35.6M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $1.46M from state grants and contracts, and $5.48M from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$392M

2020 Salaries

2.53%

growth from 2019

In 2020, Boston College paid a median of $392M in salaries, which represents 45.1% of their overall expenditure ($870M) and a 2.53% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 3.1% growth from 2018 and a 4.03% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (43% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$124M

Instructional Salaries

882

Number of Employees

In 2020, Boston College paid a total of $124M to 882 employees working as instructors, which represents 31.6% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $69.9M (29.4%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

297 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

537 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at Boston College were Associate professor with 297 employees; Professor with 294 employees; and Professor with 205 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Boston College were Management with 537 employees; Service with 456 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 329 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Boston College was Male Professor with 197 employees, Male Associate professor with 154 employees, and Female Associate professor with 143 employees.

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

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