Boston College

Boston College: Academics, Admissions & Tuition Info

Research Boston College (BC) in Boston, MA. Learn about Boston College's admissions procedures, degree programs, and financial aid to make an informed education decision.

About Boston College

Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, Boston College was originally located in the South End of Boston and later moved to Chestnut Hill to accommodate an increasing student population. BC is a mid-size private school associated with the Roman Catholic Church.

In its 2013 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Boston College 31st among national universities. Forbes Magazine listed BC as 26th among America's best colleges in 2012, and Businessweek ranked it 9th among undergrad business programs that same year. Boston College is known for its high level of academic rigor, and approximately 200 BC students were awarded prestigious academic scholarships, including Rhodes and Goldwater scholarships and Fulbright grants, from 2001-2011.

Varsity, club and intramural sports are popular at this NCAA Division I school; more than half of the school's undergraduate students participate in athletics. The graduation rate of the 750 student-athletes who play on NCAA Division I teams is sixth among peer competing schools.

Academics

Boston College offers 65 bachelor's degree programs, 64 master's degree programs, 29 doctoral programs and five certificate of advanced study programs to its 15,000 students through five undergraduate colleges and five graduate colleges. They include the College of Arts and Sciences, Carroll School of Management, Lynch School of Education, Connell School of Nursing, School of Theology and Ministry, Woods College of Advancing Studies and Boston College Law School.

U.S. News & World Report ranked the undergraduate programs at the Carroll School of Management 24th in the nation and the graduate programs 37th. Other nationally ranked programs include nursing, social work, education and law. Finance, economics, English, psychology, history, nursing and communications were among the top undergraduate majors at Boston College in 2010-2011. Students at BC also have the opportunity to study abroad in 30 countries, and the school offers ROTC programs for all four branches of the U.S. military.

Admissions

Boston College strongly encourages students who are interested in applying for admission to complete the Boston College Supplemental Application through the Common Application website as soon as possible. Students can then continue to prepare application materials, including high school transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, letters of recommendation, an essay and the Common Application. The deadline for restrictive early admission decisions is November 1st; the application deadline for regular admission decisions is January 1st.

Applications can be submitted online, and the application fee is $70. Early action applicants are notified of their status by December 25th; regular action applicants are notified of their status by April 15th.

Boston College also accepts transfer students; however, first-semester freshmen can not apply for the January semester. Transfer students are also advised to complete their Boston College Supplemental Application as soon as they know they're going to apply for admission; they must submit their application materials, including the Common Application, by March 15th (with notification by June 15th) for September enrollment or by November 1st (with notification by December 15th) for January enrollment.

Students transferring to BC should have at least a 3.0 college GPA (although incoming students GPA have a mean GPA of 3.6) and at least nine transferable credits with a grade of B or better. Transfer students will also need to provide high school transcripts, college transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, instructor evaluations and an essay.

Prospective graduate students can apply online and should be prepared to submit college transcripts as well as graduate test scores. They should consult departmental websites for specific admission requirements and application deadlines. The acceptance rate for graduate applications is about 10%.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for undergraduate students for the 2012-2013 academic year (Fall and Spring semesters) was $43,140. The school charges mandatory student activity and campus health fees of $738. Estimated room and board costs are $12,608. Incoming freshman also pay $458 for a freshman orientation program and a student identification card. Graduate students paid $686-$1,372 per credit hour. Tuition varies by college for graduate students.

Undergraduate financial aid packages can include grants, scholarships, work-study, loans or ROTC service. Students can apply for aid using the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile application. BC offers merit and need-based scholarships to incoming freshman. A monthly payment plan is also available. Graduate student funding options are dependent upon the graduate program. Types of aid include scholarships, grants, fellowships, teaching assistantships and federal student loans.

BOSTON COLLEGE QUICK FACTS
School Type	4-year, private not-for-profit*
Degrees Offered	Bachelor's degree, master's degree, post-master's certificate, doctoral degree (research/scholarship, professional practice)*
Religious Affiliation	Roman Catholic*
Academic Calendar	Semester**
School Setting	Small city*
Student Body	9,826 undergraduate students; 4,928 graduate students (Fall 2011)*
Student Housing	29 undergraduate residence halls house approximately 75% of undergraduate students**
ACADEMICS
Schools and Programs	Ten colleges and schools offer 65 bachelor's, 64 master's, 29 doctoral and five certificate of advanced study programs**
Student-Faculty Ratio	16 to 1*
Most Popular Fields of Study by Degree Level (Number of Recipients)	In 2010-2011: Bachelor's: Finance (242) Master's: Business administration and management (271) Doctorate: Law (286)*
Undergraduate Graduation Rates	88% in four years 91% in six years 92% in eight years*
ADMISSIONS
Admission Rate	28% in 2011*
Entering Class Size	About 2,250 in 2011*
First-Year Retention Rates	95% (full-time students) 80% (part-time students)*
ACT Composite Score of Admitted Students	Middle 50%: 29-32 in Fall 2011*
Application Due Date	November 1st for early action January 1st for regular action**
Decision Notification Date	December 25th for early action applications April 15th for regular action and Fall enrollment applications**
TUITION & FINANCIAL AID
Tuition	2012-2013 tuition rate: $43,140 per year**
Financial Aid Sources Available (Percent of Students Receiving it)	In 2010-2011 (full-time beginning undergraduate students): Federal grants (17%) State and local grants (7%) Institutional grants and scholarships (46%) Federal student loans (49%)*
Percent of Students Receiving Some Form of Aid	63% in 2010-2011*

Sources: *College Navigator, National Center for Education Statistics, **Boston College.

Boston College Contact Information