National university
#4 Best colleges for criminal justice in AmericaBoston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $41,704 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Boston College Campus Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#4 of 1,046
- Best colleges for marketing in America#8 of 834
- Best colleges for accounting in America#11 of 1,132
- Best colleges for finance in America#8 of 744
- Best colleges for nursing in America#13 of 1,068
- Best colleges for business in America#29 of 1,563
Show 26 more
- Best colleges for education in America#30 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#29 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#58 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#52 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#50 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#52 of 1,358
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#73 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#52 of 1,283
- Best colleges for art and design in America#50 of 1,187
- Best large colleges in America#11 of 256
- Best colleges for history in America#55 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#55 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#55 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#51 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#54 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#41 of 750
- Best colleges for economics in America#55 of 788
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#30 of 367
- Most selective colleges in America#60 of 683
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#67 of 693
- Best colleges in the Boston area#6 of 51
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#85 of 704
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#98 of 690
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#105 of 682
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#97 of 598
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#137 of 684
In Massachusetts
- Best colleges for accounting in Massachusetts#1 of 27
- Best colleges for nursing in Massachusetts#1 of 24
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Massachusetts#2 of 31
- Best colleges for marketing in Massachusetts#2 of 28
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Massachusetts#3 of 38
- Best colleges for business in Massachusetts#4 of 50
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for finance in Massachusetts#2 of 23
- Best test-optional colleges in Massachusetts#6 of 59
- Best colleges in Massachusetts#8 of 67
- Best colleges for education in Massachusetts#6 of 48
- Best colleges for psychology in Massachusetts#7 of 51
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Massachusetts#10 of 67
- Best colleges for art and design in Massachusetts#7 of 44
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Massachusetts#8 of 47
- Best colleges for English in Massachusetts#8 of 46
- Best colleges for history in Massachusetts#8 of 46
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Massachusetts#8 of 46
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Massachusetts#8 of 46
- Best colleges for mathematics in Massachusetts#8 of 43
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Massachusetts#8 of 41
- Most selective colleges in Massachusetts#9 of 46
- Best colleges for chemistry in Massachusetts#8 of 40
- Best colleges for economics in Massachusetts#8 of 39
- Best colleges for computer science in Massachusetts#7 of 33
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Massachusetts#10 of 45
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Massachusetts#12 of 47
- Best colleges for music in Massachusetts#8 of 31
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in Massachusetts#3 of 9
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.91%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.96%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,507 · ACT 34
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$27,008
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $89,493 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 10,083 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 13% |
| Total students | 15,280 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $41,704 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $89,493 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 91% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 89% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 91% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 91% |
| First-year retention | 96% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $103,937 |
| Admission rate | 16% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $80 |
| Early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 1 |
| Second early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 4 |
| Regular decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 4 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 13% |
| Average SAT | 1507 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 710–760 |
| SAT math | 730–780 |
| ACT composite | 33–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Finance | |
| Computer science | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Information science | |
| Management science | |
| Accounting | |
| Business administration | |
| Economics | |
| Mathematics | |
| Marketing | |
| Philosophy | |
| Nursing | |
| Global studies | |
| Political science | |
| Biology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| History | |
| Clinical and counseling psychology | |
| Biochemistry | |
| English | |
| Sociology | |
| Psychology | |
| Teacher education |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Area studies, Chemistry, Classics, Criminal justice, Education (general), Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Music, Natural Sciences, Neuroscience, Other education, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Social sciences, Theatre, Theology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Communication |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,916 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 8%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 61%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $250,476IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 75% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 8 miles away · about 25 minutes by car |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 8 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 28°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Jamaica Plain, MA, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.32 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.06 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Boston College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 4% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Boston College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $41,704 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Boston College?
- Boston College admitted 16% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Boston College’s graduates do?
- 91% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $103,937; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 164924
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (pre-accredited); New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Roman Catholic
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