Boston College is a prestigious Jesuit university founded in 1863. Widely respected for its rigorous liberal arts program, it enrolls about 9,600 undergraduate students looking to fulfill their mission of faith and service.
Admissions is highly competitive, and once you’re there, the curriculum is rigorous, with small class sizes. Undergraduates are required to complete a comprehensive core curriculum with subjects ranging from science to theology. Popular majors include economics, finance, political science and biology. Boston College shines in outcomes: Its six-year graduation rate is about 91% and alums go on to earn median salaries of about $96,000 in their first several years in the labor market.
BC does have a high sticker price. Money estimates the net cost of a degree to be nearly $300,000, before factoring in federal and state financial aid. However, there are robust financial aid programs, and about half of undergraduate students receive some form of aid.
With Boston in the college’s backyard, students have a major city to draw on for entertainment, shopping, internships and job opportunities. There's no Greek life on campus, but students can enjoy BC's many social, music and special interest organizations (improv group My Mother's Fleabag counts Amy Poehler as an alumna).
The school has 31 varsity teams at the NCAA Division I level. If cheering for their own Division I athletes isn’t enough, students take their Boston Marathon responsibilities very seriously; lining the edge of campus at Mile 21 to root for the runners each spring.
