Boston College was founded in 1863 to educate the iconic city’s predominantly Irish Catholic immigrant community. The college was founded by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and accepted its first students on September 5th, 1864. The Boston College acceptance rate for the latest class of applicants was 14.7%, which speaks to the competitiveness of the application process.
The latest Boston College acceptance rate is based on the results of the class of 2028 early admission process. During this cycle, the institution received 35,475 applications and accepted over 5,200 of them. Boston College has completed the enrollment process for 2,350 of these students.
Hundreds of different high schools are represented in this application cycle. Data about the class of 2028 has not been released yet. However, last year in 2022, nearly half (45%) of applicants attended public high schools, 22% attended Catholic/Jesuit schools, and 33% attended private/independent schools.
All 50 states, as well as Washington D.C. and three U.S. territories, are represented in the applicant pool. A staggering 91 different countries are also represented.
Enrollment by the Numbers
Total Applicants: 35,475
Admitted Students: 5,215
Boston College Acceptance Rate: 14.7%
Geographic and Demographic Distribution
Boston College provides extensive demographic and geographic information on applicant pools. This data is not yet available for the class of 2028, but in the 2027 class, 28.7% of applicants hailed from the New England area, and 28.8% originated from the Mid-Atlantic region. Roughly 8.3% of applicants lived outside of the United States.
The top 10 international entities represented are:
- China
- Canada
- South Korea
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Indonesia
- United Arab Emirates
- Hong Kong
- India
- Brazil
The school tracks Hong Kong separately as it is a special administrative region of China.
The school gathers data on generational trends as well. Of the more than 5,600 applicants who were accepted, 270 are first-generation college students.
Application Criteria
Boston College officials have praised this group for its academic accomplishments. The school reports that 95% of admitted students rank in the top 10% of their high school class.
Unusually, Boston College acceptance rate data didn’t include information about the average GPA scores among applicants. Many colleges provide this information so that hopefuls better understand what sort of GPA they need to improve their odds.
However, based on the trend of most applicants being in the top 10% of their high school class, it is likely that you will need a GPA of approximately 3.9. Again, this is a general figure. Some applicants may have a lower GPA, but a higher ACT or SAT score can offset this deficiency.
Speaking of SAT and ACT scores, the average scores among admitted applicants are 1511 and 34, respectively. These averages demonstrate that you’ll need a near-perfect score to position yourself as a competitive candidate for Boston College.
However, like many prestigious universities, Boston College also considers factors such as your GPA, cumulative high school body of work, and the merit of your recommendations. Who endorses you matters as much as, if not more than, what they say in their recommendation letters.
Positioning Yourself as a Strong Candidate
The Boston College acceptance rate indicates you’ll be in for a competitive application process. However, you can position yourself as a strong candidate by taking honors or IB classes, participating in extracurricular activities, and investing in admissions counseling.
While you’ll also need strong SAT or ACT scores and a great GPA, Boston College considers applicants holistically, so it’s important to be well-rounded. If you aspire to join this prestigious university, be proactive regarding your test scores, GPA, and extracurricular activity so you can position yourself as a strong candidate.
Is It Hard to Get Into Boston College?
Based on the Boston College acceptance rates, the application process is competitive. However, it is far from the hardest admissions process out there. Some schools, such as UCLA, Georgetown, and Harvard, are even more selective.
What GPA Does Boston College Require?
Boston College did not provide any official GPA data on its recent group of early admissions. However, it is generally believed that you’ll need a GPA of 3.9 or higher to position yourself as a strong candidate.
While it is possible to get admitted with a GPA lower than 3.9, you’ll need a strong showing on your SAT or ACT and stellar recommendation letters.
How Many People Apply to Boston College?
During the most recent admissions cycle, over 35,000 people applied to Boston College. Historically, the institution receives well over 30,000 applicants every year.
