BC: the complete school report for parents
BC puts the most weight on course rigor and GPA. The academic record does most of the work. It does not consider demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. BC admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Transfer applicants are admitted at 27.7% against 16.2% for first-years, so the transfer route is materially wider.
BC is officially Boston College, also known as Boston Coll. Admissions figures below come from its 2024-2025 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-10-21.
Is BC a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places BC against the figures above. No account needed.
What does BC actually weigh in admissions?
BC rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is BC's 2024-2025 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How BC rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Important |
| the essay | Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Important |
| personal qualities | Important |
| talent | Important |
| class rank | Important |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Not reported |
| legacy | Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Important |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Considered |
Does BC consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does BC consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does BC consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider the application essay?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider class rank?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider demonstrated interest?
No. BC does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does BC consider an interview?
Not reported in the most recent Common Data Set.
Does BC consider legacy status?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. It can act as a tiebreaker but will not carry a weak application.
Does BC consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does BC consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does BC consider state residency?
No. BC does not consider it.
Does BC consider volunteer work?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does BC consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does BC consider religious affiliation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
What is the BC waitlist really like?
BC offered a place on its waiting list to 7,444 applicants and 4,139 accepted one. 352 were ultimately admitted. That is 8.5% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
BC admitted 27.7% of 1,480 transfer applicants, against 16.2% of first-year applicants. For a student who does not get in at eighteen, the transfer route is a genuinely wider door and worth planning for deliberately.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 33.4% of ED applicants were admitted against 16.2% overall, a gap of 17 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.
| Regular application deadline | January 2 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | April 1 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 1 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 2 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | Not reported |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
BC sets no fixed course requirements, but recommends 20 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | Not stated | 4 years |
| Mathematics | Not stated | 4 years |
| Science | Not stated | 4 years |
| Foreign language | Not stated | 4 years |
What will BC actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $41,704 a year at BC after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $72,180. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 26 merit awards averaging $20,795 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
38% of BC graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $24,892 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $201 a month in repayment. BC’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from BC pay off?
Graduates earn a median $103,937 ten years after entering, and $85,717 at six years. 92% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 91% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$155,305 to $56,428, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at BC:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $155,305 | 125 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $135,373 | 325 |
| Information Science/Studies | $132,170 | 78 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $122,243 | 123 |
| Marketing | $113,453 | 122 |
| Mathematics | $113,093 | 85 |
| Economics | $112,774 | 354 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $97,435 | 105 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $94,664 | 94 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | $68,755 | 138 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $66,826 | 32 |
| Philosophy | $56,428 | 95 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
96% of first-years return for a second year. 91% within six (Fall 2018 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 88.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 90.0% of everyone else, a gap of 2.0 points.
How big are the classes?
49% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 2% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1, and 61% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by New England Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at BC like?
9,654 undergraduates, 78% of first-years from out of state. 99% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 80% across all undergraduates. 13% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $83,893.
Guaranteed housing comes with the admission offer, and undergraduate day students are generally given three or four years. With a three-year guarantee, housing covers the first, second and fourth years, and students are required to live off campus junior year. Living on campus is not mandatory.
Source: Housing Eligibility and Appeals, BC Residential Life; Housing FAQ, BC Residential Life
Boston College fields 31 varsity teams at the NCAA Division I level with 754 student-athletes. It competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which it joined in 2005. The teams are the Eagles.
Source: BC Facts, Boston College; Boston College Officially Joins Atlantic Coast Conference, BC Eagles; Boston College Athletics
The Office of Global Education reports that 50% of BC undergraduates go abroad (2025-26). IIE Open Doors counted 1,081 Boston College undergraduates studying abroad in 2023/24, an estimated 49% participation rate.
Source: Office of Global Education, Boston College; Open Doors 2025, U.S. Study Abroad Tables (IIE), Tables 8 and 9, 2023/24
Boston College reports that 96.6% of the Class of 2025 was employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation. The university receives more than $70 million a year in sponsored research grants.
Source: Facts & Figures, Boston College; Why BC?, Boston College Admission
How is BC ranked, and how strong is the alumni network?
BC is ranked #31 (tie) for national universities in the U.S. News Best Colleges 2027. Its full set of published positions, including the ones that are less flattering:
| Ranking | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. News Best Colleges 2027, national universities | #31 (tie) |
| U.S. News Best Colleges 2027, top private colleges | #24 |
| U.S. News Best Colleges 2027, best value | #56 |
| U.S. News Best Colleges 2027, best study abroad programs | #19 |
| THE World University Rankings 2027 | #284 (tie) |
Shown in full, including the less flattering ones.
Source: Boston College ranked 31st among best national universities (BC News, September 2026); Boston College, World University Rankings, Times Higher Education
Boston College reports an alumni network of 212,800. Its 2025-26 Fact Book counts 76,806 alumni living in Massachusetts and 32,328 in the Mid-Atlantic states, the two largest regions.
Source: Facts & Figures, Boston College; 2025-2026 Facts at a Glance, BC Institutional Research & Planning
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. BC recommends 20 academic units.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- Early Decision is worth 17 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 352 of 4,139 who waited were admitted, about 9%.
- If the first-year answer is no, the transfer route is genuinely wider here and worth planning for from the first semester of college.
- Its highest-earning major returns $155,305 five years out against $56,428 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about BC
Does the BC waitlist move?
4,139 students accepted a place on the BC waiting list and 352 were admitted in the 2024-2025 cycle.
What do BC graduates earn?
BC graduates earn a median $103,937 ten years after entering, and 92% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with BC
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: BC’s 2024-2025 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-10-21. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.