Boston College
What Boston College's own numbers say, from its Common Data Set 2024-25.
See your odds at Boston College →All 5 insights at Boston College PRO
Early DecisionBoston College
Boston College's ED number is inflated.
33% of Early Decision applicants get in, but that pool includes recruited athletes and legacies, admitted at far higher rates. Without them, our estimate is about 29%. Everyone else: 14%.
ED, as reported33%
ED, without hooks (estimate)≈29%
Everyone else14%
Source: Boston College's Common Data Set 2024-25; hooked share is an estimate (A12)
Getting harderBoston College
Getting into Boston College is 1.7× harder than in 2018.
The admit rate fell from 28% (2018-19) to 16% (2024-25).
2018-1928%
2024-2516%
Source: Boston College's Common Data Set 2024-25
Women and menBoston College
At Boston College, men get in 1.4× as often.
Men are admitted at 20%, women at 14%.
Men20%
Women14%
Source: Boston College's Common Data Set 2024-25
MoneyBoston College
Boston College meets 100% of need.
The average need-based grant is $60,503 a year, against tuition of $72,180.
Average grant$61k
Tuition$72k
Source: Boston College's Common Data Set 2024-25
Early DecisionBoston College
57% of Boston College's class is filled in Early Decision.
That leaves about 1,067 seats for 30,491 applicants outside ED.
Admitted Early Decision57%
Everyone else43%
Source: Boston College's Common Data Set 2024-25
9 more things the data says PRO
- The admit rate has moved down steadily, from 27.9% in 2018-19 to 16.4% in 2024-25. If the trend holds, expect about 11.7% in 2025-26.
- After ED, 1,067 of 2,501 seats were left for 30,491 other applicants: about one seat for every 29.
- ED applicants were admitted at 33%, against 13.8% for everyone else: 2.4 times the rate.
- Early Decision filled about 57% of the 2024-25 first-year class, less than most similar colleges.
- It reports meeting 100% of financial need for first-years who have need.
- Only 30% of enrolled first-years sent an SAT score, so its SAT range describes a minority of the class.
- 4,139 students stayed on the waitlist and 352 were admitted from it (8.5%).
- Applications rose 13% from 2018-19 to 2024-25 (31,084 to 35,037).
- Women were admitted at a lower rate: 13.9% for women against 20.1% for men.
What students say PRO
From students' own posts on Reddit and admissions forums: self-reported, unverified, never used in your odds.
- Almost all admits who posted scores had top ones, about 1500+ SAT or 34+ ACT, with GPAs at 3.9 or above for most.
- Nearly all admits who named a round applied Regular Decision (25 of 26); only one used Early Decision.
- Many admits led something for years, such as debate or Model UN president, newspaper editor, team captain or class president.
- Many admits founded a nonprofit, club, business or program, often serving younger students or underserved groups.
- Many admits had research, publications or internships, including published papers, university labs, policy internships and tech roles.
- Students report Boston College is very selective, about 12-16% overall, and that its Early Decision rate is inflated by athletes, legacies and other hooked applicants.
- Students report deferred and waitlisted applicants have mixed results, with waitlists large and very few taken; a letter of continued interest is the usual advice.
- Students report test scores help mainly alongside a strong GPA, and that BC is test optional but admits average high ACT scores.
- Students report aid is mixed: some nearly full-ride offers and others none, with costs near 97k a year, and no aid for international students.
Every number, year by year: Boston College on Open College Data. Something wrong? Suggest a correction.