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Boston College
Boston College turned away roughly 84% of its 36,069 applicants in the Fall 2023 cycle — selective enough that the middle-50% ranges below deserve a careful read.
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Boston College sits in Chestnut Hill proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its Roman Catholic affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Finance and Financial Management Services, where graduates median $147,746 four years out. Faculty pay averages $217,572 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 10,085 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 96% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1430 and 1540 — above the MA middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Boston College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1430–1540 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, Boston College's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 710 | 730 | 760 |
| SAT Math | 720 | 760 | 780 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 34 | 34 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Boston College received 36,069 applications and admitted 5,645 (15.7%), with 2,335 enrolling.
How Boston College compares
| Boston College | Massachusetts median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 16.4% | 70.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $70,702 | $46,700 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $103,937 | $62,832 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Boston College student earns $103,937 — 65% above the Massachusetts median of $62,832 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Boston College lists tuition at $70,702 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Boston College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $70,702 as the ceiling, not the bill.
Boston College enrolls 10,085 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs Boston College's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
90.8% of Boston College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 36 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $70,702 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Boston College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $147,746 |
| Computer Science | $143,204 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | $132,903 |
| Information Science/Studies | $131,090 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $126,475 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $126,461 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $123,144 |
| Economics | $121,337 |
| Mathematics | $111,072 |
| Marketing | $106,353 |
| Philosophy | $97,519 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $94,867 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $91,874 |
| Political Science and Government | $86,537 |
| Biology, General | $83,614 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $83,586 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $82,861 |
| History | $80,073 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $76,328 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $75,274 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $70,141 |
| Sociology | $70,121 |
| Psychology, General | $70,033 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $61,719 |
Median earnings for these 24 Boston College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $103,937 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 25 additional Boston College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Boston College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1430–1540 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 16.4% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Boston College's acceptance rate?
15.7% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 5,645 admitted from 36,069 applicants.
How much does Boston College cost?
At Boston College, published tuition is $70,702 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Boston College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Boston College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $103,937 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Massachusetts
- Babson College — 17.1% admitted
- College of the Holy Cross — 17.6% admitted
- Smith College — 21% admitted
- Franklin W Olin College of Engineering — 25.2% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.