Boston College

Boston College is a large private non-profit R1 doctoral research university located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, with an undergraduate enrollment of 10,085. As a Carnegie R1 doctoral research institution, it supports graduate and professional programs across a broad range of academic disciplines alongside its undergraduate curriculum, with faculty engaged in funded research programs. As an independently governed, non-profit institution relying on tuition, endowment returns, and philanthropic support, it operates within the broader Massachusetts postsecondary education landscape and is regionally accredited, making its credits and degrees eligible for federal financial aid. With a 16% acceptance rate, admission is selective. Applicants are evaluated on a competitive basis, with roughly 16 out of every 100 candidates offered admission. Net price for families earning \$48,001–$75,000 averages $13,112 per year. Families earning under $30,000 average $4,284/year — substantially lower. The highest program-level earnings outcomes are in CIP 00 — 10-year median earnings among aid recipients in these fields reach $190,940. The 4-year graduation rate is 91%, 46 percentage points above the national average of 45%. Among students who received federal financial aid, 10-year median earnings are $103,937. FIRE rates the campus free speech climate at 48/100 — a mixed record on speech protections.