Boston College, BC, is a private university located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It is one of the oldest Jesuit, Catholic universities in the U.S. The campus is spread over 381 acres. Boston College is called ‘The Heights’ due to its lofty aspirations and elevated location on Chestnut Hill.
Boston College confers more than 4,000 degrees annually in more than 50 fields of study. BC comprises nine schools and colleges:
The mascot for all Boston College athletic teams is the Eagle and the BC’s teams are generally known as The Eagles.

Fields of study in vogue at BC include media.
Not all applicants to the school are accepted. Just 26% of applicants in 2007-2008 were accepted at BC. The top quarter of students at the school scored at least 700 on the verbal SAT test. Students' math SAT scores were most often in the range 640 to 730 in 2007-2008.
The most successful professors at BC are given tenure, encouraging them to stay with the school for a long time. The the school teaching staff is well compensated compared to other schools.
Approximately 14,621 students study at BC (in 2007-2008).
The school offers a real campus feel. BC makes housing available to a large share of its students. Students participate in Atlantic Coast Conference athletics.
More complete details are provided below.
Boston College
140 Commonwealth Ave
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
General Phone: (617) 552-8000
http://www.bc.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Management | 945 | finance, business management, accounting, marketing, business and related services, business administration, human resources, organizational behavior, ... |
| Liberal Arts | 913 | English, history, economics, political science, sociology, international studies, Spanish language, linguistics, ... |
| Education and Teaching | 393 | elementary school teaching, special education, curriculum and instruction, higher education administration, secondary teaching, school counseling, English teaching, history teaching, ... |
| Therapy and Counseling | 302 | psychology, community psychology, counseling psychology, educational psychology |
| Law | 278 | law, legal professions |
| Science | 270 | biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, geology, geophysics |
| Media | 236 | communication studies |
| Family and Social Work | 223 | social work |
| Religion and Philosophy | 169 | philosophy, theology, pastoral counseling, religious education, Islamic studies |
| Nursing and Emergency Medicine | 161 | registered nursing, nurse practitioner, various nursing, adult health nursing, nurse anesthetist, pediatric nursing, nursing science, mental health nursing, ... |
| Mathematics | 40 | mathematics |
| Drama and Performing Arts | 20 | drama |
| Computer Science and Engineering | 19 | computer science, information science |
| Fine Arts | 18 | art history and criticism, fine arts |
| Music | 11 | music |
| Conservation and Resource Management | 10 | environmental science |
| Photography and Commercial Art | 8 | film studies |
Number of programs and degrees for BC in 2008-2009:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 2,319 | 55 |
| Master's degree | 1,260 | 58 |
| First-professional degree | 273 | 1 |
| Doctor's degree | 158 | 27 |
| Post-master's certificate | 6 | 7 |
In 2007-2008, BC had a total enrollment of 14,621 students (12,379 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 48% |
| Women | 52% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 64% |
| Graduate | 31% |
| First Professional | 5% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 65% |
| Black | 5% |
| Hispanic | 6% |
| Asian | 7% |
| American Indian | 0% |
| Unknown | 10% |
| (Foreign Students) | 6% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1% |
| 18-19 | 30% |
| 20-21 | 31% |
| 22-24 | 13% |
| 25-29 | 14% |
| 30-34 | 5% |
| 35-39 | 3% |
| 40-49 | 3% |
| 50-64 | 1% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 28% |
| New York | 16% |
| New Jersey | 9% |
| Connecticut | 7% |
| California | 6% |
| Florida | 3% |
| Maryland | 3% |
| Pennsylvania | 3% |
| Illinois | 3% |
| Ohio | 2% |
| Rhode Island | 2% |
| Minnesota | 2% |
| New Hampshire | 1% |
| Texas | 1% |
| Virginia | 1% |
| Maine | 1% |
| Wisconsin | 1% |
| Washington | 1% |
| Vermont | 1% |
| Colorado | 1% |
| Arizona | 1% |
| North Carolina | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 96 % |
BC offers campus housing for 7,413 of its 12,379 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Newton, Massachusetts for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Massachusetts Colleges).
The school does not offer students a meal plan.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 30,845 | 8,093 | 26% | 2,167 | 27% |
| Men | 13,480 | 3,801 | 28% | 1,043 | 27% |
| Women | 17,365 | 4,292 | 25% | 1,124 | 26% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 610 | 700 |
| SAT Math | 640 | 730 |
| SAT Writing | 620 | 710 |
| ACT Verbal | 28 | 34 |
| ACT Math | 28 | 33 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 32 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | recommended |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | recommended |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 89% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 35% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
| Other Standardized Tests | not required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 37,950 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 37,950 |
| Room and board | $ 11,610 |
| Room charge | $ 7,160 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 4,450 |
| Books and supplies | $ 650 |
| Other expenses | $ 1,850 |
Financial Aid:
BC participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 212800)
BC has a tenure system for faculty.
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 189 | $150,403 | 68 | $130,069 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 161 | $93,593 | 98 | $90,729 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 80 | $82,898 | 82 | $77,768 |
| Instructor | academic year | 1 | * | 12 | $55,831 |
| Lecturer | academic year | 10 | $77,910 | 7 | $59,585 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 441 | $115,535 | 267 | $94,383 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Basketball | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Baseball | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Track | Atlantic Coast Conference |
Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 146 | 181 | 327 |
| Football | 84 | 0 | 84 |
| Basketball | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| Track | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| Baseball | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| All Other Sports | 33 | 148 | 181 |
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Accounting and Related Services, Other
Business Administration and Management, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services, Other
Finance, General
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Operations Management and Supervision
Organizational Behavior Studies
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Science
Information Science/Studies
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Biology Teacher Education
Chemistry Teacher Education
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Education, Other
Educational Administration and Supervision, Other
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
English/Language Arts Teacher Education
French Language Teacher Education
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
History Teacher Education
Mathematics Teacher Education
Multicultural Education
Physics Teacher Education
Reading Teacher Education
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
Secondary Education and Teaching
Spanish Language Teacher Education
Special Education and Teaching, Other
Teacher Education/Profess Development, Levels & Methods, Other
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Social Work
FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Fine/Studio Arts, General
LAW
Law (LLB, JD)
Legal Professions and Studies, Other
LIBERAL ARTS
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, General
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
German Language and Literature
History, General
International/Global Studies
Italian Language and Literature
Latin Language and Literature
Linguistics
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Russian Language and Literature
Russian Studies
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Social Sciences, Other
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Anesthetist
Nursing Science (MS, PhD)
Nursing, Other
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
Pediatric Nurse/Nursing
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Film/Cinema Studies
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Islamic Studies
Pastoral Studies/Counseling
Philosophy
Religious Education
Theology/Theological Studies
SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Geophysics and Seismology
Physics, General
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Community Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Educational Psychology
Psychology, General
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets BC Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in religion and philosophy (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 2% | ![]() ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 2% | ![]() ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted) (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 5% | ![]() ![]() |
| % students on athletic fin. aid (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 9% | ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (vs. all colleges) | Top 10% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in business and management (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 14% | ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 14% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in law (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in media (vs. all colleges) | Top 19% | ![]() |
Notable:
Roman Catholic affiliation
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, navy, air force)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member
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