How to Get Into Boston College: Acceptance Rate and Strategies
July 1, 2025
From 1980 to 1990, Boston College accepted as few as 31% of applicants and as many as 45% of prospective Eagles. Between 1994 and 2003, the average SAT score jumped roughly 100 points with the 50th percentile scores climbing from 1120-1270 up to 1210-1360. The most generous year for acceptance was 1991, when 56% of those who applied were successful. Fast-forward to 2023, and the Boston College acceptance rate was just 15% and the average SAT score of those admitted was above 1500. While you don鈥檛 quite need a Doug Flutie-level Hail Mary pass to get into today鈥檚 iteration of Boston College, you do need to have much stronger credentials than in previous eras.
Given that the process of gaining acceptance into Boston College becomes increasingly challenging with each passing year, we will make sure that you are up to speed on the following topics:
- Boston College acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
- Boston College ED acceptance rate
- SAT, ACT, and class rank of accepted applicants
- Admissions trends from the Class of 2029
- The demographics of current undergraduates
- Yield rate
- How Boston College鈥檚 admissions officers evaluate candidates
- Tips for applying and writing BC’s supplemental essays
- How to assess whether applying is even worth the $80 application fee (for you)
Boston College Admissions Calculator – Will I Get In?
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Boston College Acceptance Rate 2025
The school received 39,681 applications for its 2025-26 freshman class. They admitted approximately 5,000 students for an acceptance rate of 12.6%.
Historical Boston College acceptance rates are as follows:
| Applicants | Admits | Acceptance Rate | |
| Class of 2028 | 35,475 | 5,642 | 15.9% |
| Class of 2027 | 36,525 | 5,511 | 15% |
| Class of 2026 | 40,494 | 6,748 | 16.6% |
| Class of 2025 | 39,846 | 7,587 | 19% |
Boston College ED Acceptance Rate
According to the most recent official data available, BC received 4,428 ED applications for the Class of 2026 and admitted 1,246 of them. In other words, this means that the Boston College ED acceptance rate was 28%. Moreover, at the culmination of the 2022-2023 admissions cycle, BC announced the ED acceptance rate (ED I & ED II) was around 30%.
What class rank do you need to get accepted to Boston College?
Among enrolled 2024-25 first-year students (most recent data available), an impressive 90% hailed from the top 10% of their graduating class, while 98% earned a place in the top quarter.
What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for Boston College?
According to official statistics for students who enrolled in the Class of 2028, the average SAT score was 1484 and the average ACT score was 34.
Last year, Boston College only reported statistics for admitted students (different than enrolled). Those were on par with the previous year’s numbers-the median SAT score was 1510 and the median ACT score was 34.
Admissions Trends & Notes 鈥� Class of 2029
- BC received more applications this admissions cycle and the acceptance rate was lower than the previous year. This typically indicates a rising yield rate (more on that below).
- 12% of those admitted are first-generation students.
- 95% of admitted students placed in the top 10% of their class.
- Admitted students had an average SAT of 1503 and an average ACT of 34.
- Class of 2029 admits are from all 50 states and 77 countries.
Who Actually Gets Into BC?
Let鈥檚 look at the demographics of BC undergraduates:
Geographically, the Class of 2028 included the following breakdown:
- New England: 29.6%
- Mid-Atlantic: 30.9%
- Midwest: 8.2%
- South/Southwest: 10.9%
- West: 10.4%
- Other U.S.: 1%
- International: 8%
As with all selective colleges, those from lower-populated, more remote areas of the country (e.g. Wyoming, South Dakota, and Alaska) enjoy a boost to their admissions prospects. The Class of 2029 hailed from all 50 states.
The most common countries of origin for the 162 international members of the Class of 2028 were:
- China
- South Korea
- Canada
- Hong Kong
- Brazil
- Singapore
- Taiwan
- U.A.E.
- Indonesia
- India
Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2028 was as follows:
- Asian American: 16.2%
- Hispanic: 14.4%
- African American: 6%
- White: 60%
- Two or more races: 4%
The breakdown by gender of all students in the Class of 2028 reveals an even split between men and women.
- Male: 50%
- Female: 50%
The Class of 2027 hailed from the following types of high schools:
- Public: 45%
- Catholic: 22%
- Private/Independent: 33%
What the Class of 2028 is studying鈥攁 breakdown by college:
- : 1,594 students
- : 582 students
- : 113 students
- : 105 students
Yield Rate
Boston College鈥檚 yield rate 鈥� the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted 鈥� was 43% last year, up from 41% the year prior. In other words, this means that more admitted students are choosing to attend, which often drives down the acceptance rate.
How Boston College Rates Applicants
There are only two factors that BC ranks as being 鈥渧ery important鈥� to their admissions process: rigor of secondary school record and GPA. Rating as 鈥渋mportant鈥� are: class rank, essays, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, religious affiliation, and volunteer work. 鈥淐onsidered鈥� factors are: standardized test scores, first-generation status, state residency, and work experience.
In the words of Boston College admissions officers themselves: 鈥淲e review each application with a level of thoroughness and thoughtfulness that reflects the time and effort you have invested in Boston College. In making admission decisions, we consider grades, standardized test scores, what you do outside of school, teachers鈥� and others鈥� appraisals, and how you express yourself through writing.鈥�
Tips for Applying
If you plan on joining the 39,000+ Eagle hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:
- Boston College will remain test-optional during the 2025-26 cycle.
- There are no interviews offered through the university. As such, you鈥檒l need to use the essays and recommendations to forge a personal connection with an admissions officer.
- Boston College does not consider 鈥�demonstrated interest鈥� so it is less important that you make contact with the admissions office, connect through social media, and visit campus or meet Boston College reps at college fairs near you. However, engaging in any of those activities is never a bad idea, if only as a way to learn more about whether BC is the right fit for you.
- Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essay required by Boston College. In the 2025-26 cycle, the instructions/prompts were as follows:
We would like to get a better sense of you. Please respond to one of the first four prompts below (400 word limit). Students applying to the Human Centered Engineering major should respond to Prompt #5 instead.
- Option 1: Strong communities are sustained by traditions. Boston College’s annual calendar is marked with both long-standing and newer traditions that help shape our community. Tell us about a meaningful tradition in your family or community. Why is it important to you, and how does it bring people together or strengthen the bonds of those who participate?
- Option 2: The late BC theology professor, Father Michael Himes, argued that a university is not a place to which you go, but instead, a “rigorous and sustained conversation about the great questions of human existence, among the widest possible circle of the best possible conversation partners.鈥� Who has been your most meaningful conversation partner, and what profound questions have you considered together?
- Option 3: In her July 2009 Ted Talk, 鈥�,鈥� Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warned viewers against assigning people a 鈥渟ingle story鈥� through assumptions about their nationality, appearance, or background. Discuss a time when someone defined you by a single story. What challenges did this present and how did you overcome them?
- Option 4: Boston College鈥檚 Jesuit mission highlights 鈥渢he three Be鈥檚鈥�: be attentive, be reflective, be loving 鈥� core to Jesuit education (see A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education). If you could add a fourth 鈥淏e,鈥� what would it be and why? How would this new value support your personal development and enrich the BC community?
- Human-Centered Engineering (HCE) Applicants only: One goal of a Jesuit education is to prepare students to serve the Common Good. Human-Centered Engineering at Boston College integrates technical knowledge, creativity, and a humanistic perspective to address societal challenges and opportunities. What societal problems are important to you and how will you use your HCE education to solve them?
For detailed advice on how to tackle these prompts, visit our blog: Boston College Essay Prompts and Tips.
Should I apply to Boston College?
With Boston College growing more competitive each year, you will likely need to possess stellar SAT scores and near-perfect grades, and earn a place in the top 10% of your high school class. Moreover, applying ED will provide a sizable edge if you find yourself 鈥渙n the cusp鈥� from an admissions standpoint.
Boston College Acceptance Rate – Final Thoughts
All college-bound teens need to make sure that they formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of 鈥渢arget鈥� and 鈥渟afety鈥� schools. What’s more, you鈥檒l definitely want to do this in conjunction with an admissions professional (including your own high school counselor).
Ready to start crafting your applications? Check out the links below:
- Should You Start College Applications in the Summer?
- What is Demonstrated Interest?
- Do Colleges Look at Social Media?
- College Fair Advice for High School Students
- How to Complete the Common App Activities List
- Common App Essay Prompts
- 25 Inspiring College Essay Topic Ideas
- Should I Complete Optional College Essays?
