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Summary
Boston College is a private institution that was founded in 1863. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,099, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 328 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Boston College's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 31. Its tuition and fees are $42,204 (2011-12).
Boston College was founded by the Society of Jesus and has maintained its Roman Catholic Jesuit religious affiliation. B.C. competes in nearly 30 NCAA Division I varsity sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The B.C. Eagles have one of the highest graduation rates for their student-athletes in the country. There are no fraternities or sororities on campus, however the school has more than 200 clubs and organizations. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, but the majority choose to do so. B.C. is located in Chestnut Hill, Mass., which is six miles west of downtown Boston, and its main campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Boston College is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a university with high research activity. It has nine schools, which include highly ranked graduate programs, including its Lynch School of Education, Boston College Law School, and Carroll School of Management. Almost 50 percent of students engage in an international experience before they graduate. "The Heights," a nickname for the college, refers to its hilltop location and is also the name of the student newspaper. Notable alumni include Sen. John Kerry and former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O’Neill.
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Boston College draws inspiration for its academic and societal mission from its distinctive religious tradition. As a Catholic and Jesuit university, it is rooted in a world view that encounters God in all creation and through all human activity, especially in the search for truth in every discipline, in the desire to learn, and in the call to live justly together. In this spirit, the University regards the contribution of different religious traditions and value systems as essential to the fullness of its intellectual life and to the continuous development of its distinctive intellectual heritage. Strengthened by more than a century and a quarter of dedication to excellence, Boston College commits itself to the highest standards of teaching and research in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs and to the pursuit of a just society through its own accomplishments, the work of its faculty and staff, and the achievements of its graduates. It seeks both to advance its place among the nation's finest universities and to bring to the company of its distinguished peers and to the contemporary society the richness of the Catholic intellectual ideal of a mutually illuminating relationship between religious faith and free intellectual inquiry. Boston College pursues this distinctive mission by serving society in three ways: by fostering the rigorous intellectual development and the religious, ethical, and personal formation of its undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in order to prepare them for citizenship, service and leadership in global society; by producing nationally and internationally significant research that advances insight and understanding, thereby both enriching culture and addressing important societal needs; and by committing itself to advance the dialogue between religious belief and other formative elements of culture through the intellectual inquiry, teaching and learning, and the community life that form the University. Boston College fulfills this mission with deep concern for all members of its community, with a recognition of the important contribution a diverse student body, faculty and staff can offer, with a firm commitment to academic freedom, and with a determination to exercise careful stewardship of its resources in pursuit of its academic goals. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1863 |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic (Jesuit) |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2010 Endowment | $1,647,653,000 |
Applying
When applying to Boston College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 1. The application fee at Boston College is $70. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 31.1 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | most selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 31% |
| Application deadline | January 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Boston College is 14:1, and the school has 47.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Boston College include: Finance, General; Speech Communication and Rhetoric; Economics, General; Biology/Biological Sciences, General; and History, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 95.5 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 87% - High | ||||||||||
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Student Life
Boston College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,099, with a gender distribution of 48.2 percent male students and 51.8 percent female students. 83.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 17.0 percent of students live off campus. Boston College is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Boston College.
| Total enrollment | 14,015 |
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| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | N/A |
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | N/A |
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
Boston College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Boston College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Boston College, 6 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Boston College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 6% - Low |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Boston College, 43.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $27,691.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $42,204 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $12,324 (2011-12) - High |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
