Boston College
Boston College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Boston College Featured Rankings
- #1 Christian Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #2 Online Master’s in Education
- #3 The Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees
- #3 The Best Online PhD of Applied Behavioral Analysis Degree Programs Ranked in 2026
- #3 Most Influential Colleges in Hockey Today
- #4 Massachusetts's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #5 Online Doctorate in Education
- #5 Criminal Justice Colleges and Universities
- #7 Research Universities in Massachusetts 2026
- #7 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #8 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2026
- #9 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen
- #9 Private Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #10 Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- #10 Best Online MBA Degree Programs No GRE Required
- #10 Fastest Online Doctoral Degrees
- #12 Criminal Justice Research Universities
- #23 Business Research Universities
- #23 Education Research Universities
- #23 Nursing Research Universities
- #25 Religious Studies Research Universities
- #32 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #40 Best Private Grad Schools 2026
- #43 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2026
- #45 The Best Traditional MBA Programs
About Boston College
In brief
Boston College (BC), in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, was founded in 1863 by the Jesuits. It is organized into nine colleges and schools. By our measure of academic influence, it ranks #91 in the United States and #259 in the world. It admitted 16.4% of applicants for fall 2024; admitted students had a median SAT score of 1490 and a median ACT score of 34.
Its most popular programs include economics, finance, biology, communication, and political science.
Where BC’s influence is strongest
BC’s influence is led by nursing and religious studies, where it ranks in the US top 20. Its strongest broad fields, by US rank in our data, are:
- Nursing: #16 in the US (#25 in the world)
- Religious studies: #20
- Education: #45
- Philosophy: #50
- History, law, and business: #53 each
Its highest-ranked specialties in our data are:
- #4 in the US: continental philosophy
- #7: medical social work
- #8: metaethics
- #12: applied ethics and theology
By comparison, BC sits further back in computer science (#142), physics (#161), and engineering (#179).
How we measure influence: these ranks come from the citations and recognition earned by a school’s faculty and alumni in each discipline, not from surveys or admissions statistics. See our methodology.
Notable people
BC’s Nobel laureate is John Hume, winner of the Peace Prize. Its faculty has included the theologians Bernard Lonergan and Mary Daly and the philosopher Peter Kreeft. BC-connected figures also include the actors Leonard Nimoy and Amy Poehler, House Speaker Tip O’Neill, and Secretary of State John Kerry. Our full lists of BC’s most influential alumni and faculty appear below.
Frequently asked questions
Is BC hard to get into? Yes. It admitted 16.4% of applicants for fall 2024; the middle half of admitted students scored 710–760 on the SAT reading section and 730–780 on math.
What does BC cost after financial aid? Tuition is $73,508 for 2025–26. The average net price for aided students with family incomes of $48,000–$75,000 was $9,615 in 2024–25; it ranged from about $7,293 for incomes below $30,000 to $61,800 for incomes above $110,000.
How do BC graduates do? 89.8% of students who started in 2019 graduated within six years, and 96% of first-year students return for a second year. Ten years after starting college, former students had median earnings of $112,178.
What is BC best known for academically? By our influence data: nursing and religious studies, plus continental philosophy, where it ranks fourth in the country.
According to Wikipedia, Boston College is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,400 full-time undergraduates and over 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified as an R1 research university, it still uses the word "college" in its name to reflect its historical position as a small liberal arts college.
Boston College's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Social Justice Leadership
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Educational Policy Development
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
MeD in Educational Leadership And Policy
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MeD in Global Perspectives: Teaching, Curriculum And Learning Environments
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in International Higher Education
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate of Active Participation in Adult Faith Formation
- Completion Time: 7 months
- Format: Fully online
Certificate of Active Participation in Basic Catechesis
- Completion Time: 7 months
- Format: Fully online
Certificate of Active Participation in Continuing Education
- Completion Time: 7 months
- Format: Fully online
MeD in Jesuit Education In A Global World
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
Certificate of Active Participation in Liturgy
- Completion Time: 7 months
- Format: Fully online
Certificate of Active Participation in New Testament
- Completion Time: 7 months
- Format: Fully online
Certificate of Active Participation in Spirituality
- Completion Time: 7 months
- Format: Fully online
Boston College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36,069 | 16% | 96% | 90% | 1490 | 34 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Boston College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $73,508 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $7,293 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,451 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,615 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,616 |
| 110K+ | $61,800 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Boston College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Boston College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $112,178 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Boston College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 16,561 | 10,548 | 6,013 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Boston College?
Boston College is located at 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
How Safe is Boston College?
Boston College reported 0.5 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most large residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Boston College has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.01%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is Boston College Known For?
Boston College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Religious Studies
- Education
- Philosophy
- Business
- Law
- History
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Communications
- Mathematics
- Literature
- Psychology
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Computer Science
- Physics
Boston College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Boston College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Boston College ranks #16 in the U.S. and #25 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesBoston College ranks #20 in the U.S. and #88 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesBoston College ranks #45 in the U.S. and #149 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesBoston College ranks #50 in the U.S. and #153 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesBoston College ranks #53 in the U.S. and #131 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesBoston College ranks #53 in the U.S. and #162 worldwide for influence in Law.
Boston College ranks #53 in the U.S. and #137 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesBoston College ranks #61 in the U.S. and #106 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesBoston College ranks #62 in the U.S. and #207 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesBoston College ranks #64 in the U.S. and #185 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesBoston College ranks #66 in the U.S. and #86 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesBoston College ranks #88 in the U.S. and #282 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesBoston College ranks #88 in the U.S. and #328 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesBoston College ranks #89 in the U.S. and #227 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesBoston College ranks #92 in the U.S. and #185 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesBoston College ranks #100 in the U.S. and #373 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesBoston College ranks #107 in the U.S. and #476 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesBoston College ranks #113 in the U.S. and #325 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesBoston College ranks #130 in the U.S. and #439 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesBoston College ranks #133 in the U.S. and #556 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesBoston College ranks #142 in the U.S. and #533 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesBoston College ranks #161 in the U.S. and #685 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWho Are Boston College's Most Influential Alumni?
Boston College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Religious Studies. Here are some of Boston College's most famous alumni:
- Robert Gallo
- An American biomedical researcher.
- Dennis Ross
- An American diplomat.
- Ernest Moniz
- A 13th United States Secretary of Energy.
- David H. Barlow
- An American psychologist.
- R. Nicholas Burns
- An American diplomat and academic.
- Richard Cushing
- An American Catholic cardinal.
- J. Arch Getty
- An American historian.
- Greg Boyle
- An American Jesuit.
- Maeve Kennedy McKean
- An American public health official, human rights attorney and academic.
- Julianne Malveaux
- An American journalist, economist, author, commentator.
- Richard Swedberg
- A Swedish sociologist.
- John Courtney Murray
- An American theologian.
Who Are Boston College's Most Influential Faculty?
Boston College's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Religious Studies. Here are some of Boston College's most famous faculty:
- David Pakman
- An Argentinian-American political pundit .
- Janet E. Helms
- An American psychologist.
- Jennifer Balakrishnan
- An American mathematician.
- Steven J. Miller
- An American mathematician.
- Michael Stebbins
- An American geneticist.
- Larry Barton
- A .
- Angela Kim Harkins
- An Associate Professor of Theology.
- John H. Smith
- An American mathematician.
- Ryan Day
- An American football coach.
- Cindy Blodgett
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Elizabeth Kensinger
- An American psychologist and academic.
- Thatcher Demko
- An American ice hockey goaltender.
