 | |
| Latin:Collegium Bostoniense[1] | |
| Motto | Αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν (Greek) |
|---|---|
Motto in English | "Ever to Excel" |
| Type | Privateresearch university |
| Established | March 31, 1863; 162 years ago (1863-03-31) |
| Founder | John McElroy |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic (Jesuit) |
Academic affiliations | |
| Endowment | $3.777 billion (2024)[2] |
| President | William P. Leahy |
| Provost | David Quigley |
Academic staff | 1,848[3] |
Administrative staff | 2,690[3] |
| Students | 15,106 (2022)[4] |
| Undergraduates | 9,532 (2022)[4] |
| Postgraduates | 5,574 (2022)[4] |
| Location | ,, United States 42°20′06″N71°10′13″W / 42.33500°N 71.17028°W /42.33500; -71.17028 |
| Campus | |
| Newspaper | The Heights |
| Colors | Maroon and gold[6] |
| Nickname | Eagles |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot | Baldwin the Eagle |
| Website | bc |
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Boston College (BC) is aprivateCatholicJesuitresearch university inChestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by theSociety of Jesus, a Catholicreligious order, the university has more than 15,000 total students.[7]
Boston College was originally located in theSouth End ofBoston before moving most of its campus toChestnut Hill in 1907. Itsmain campus is a historic district and features some of the earliest examples ofcollegiate gothic architecture inNorth America. The campus is 6 miles west ofdowntown Boston. It offersbachelor's degrees,master's degrees, anddoctoral degrees through its nine colleges and schools. Boston College is classified as a "Research 1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production" university by theCarnegie Classification.[8]
Boston College athletic teams are theEagles. Their colors are maroon and gold and their mascot isBaldwin the Eagle. The Eagles compete inNCAADivision I as members of theAtlantic Coast Conference in all sports offered by the ACC. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete inHockey East.Boston College's men's ice hockey team has won five national championships.[9]
Alumni and affiliates of the university include governors, ambassadors, members of Congress, scholars, writers, medical researchers, Hollywood actors, and professional athletes.[10] Boston College alumni include threeRhodes, 22Truman, and 171Fulbright scholars.[11][12][13][14]
Boston College was founded through the efforts of the first Jesuit community inNew England, which was established at St. Mary's Church in Boston in 1849.[15] Jesuit priestJohn McElroy maintained the vision for what became Boston College, recognizing the need for an educational institution for theIrish Catholic immigrant population.[16] With the approval of his Jesuit superiors, McElroy raised funds and purchased land for "The Boston College" on Harrison Avenue in the Hudson neighborhood ofSouth End, Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857.[17]
On April 1, 1863, the college was granted a university charter by theCommonwealth of Massachusetts, allowing the board of trustees to confer degrees typically awarded by colleges in the state.[15]John Bapst served as the first President of Boston College and launched the collegiate instruction program on September 5, 1864.[15]
The average age of students in its early years was fourteen, indicating a strong presence of high schoolers, which aligned with theSociety of Jesus's preparatory tradition from Europe.[17] The student body consisted mainly of local boys from greater Boston parishes, some of whom received scholarships, while campus life focused heavily on religious activities, requiring Catholic students to attend Mass, partake in confession, and join devotional societies.[17] The curriculum was based on the JesuitRatio Studiorum, emphasizingLatin,Greek,philosophy, andtheology.[18]
Expansion of the South End buildings onto James Street enabled increased separation between the high school and college divisions, thoughBoston College High School remained a constituent part of Boston College until 1927, when it was separatelyincorporated.[19]
In 1907, newly installed presidentThomas I. Gasson determined that BC's cramped, urban quarters in Boston's South End were inadequate and unsuited for significant expansion. Inspired byJohn Winthrop's early vision of Boston as a "city upon a hill", he re-imagined Boston College as a beacon ofJesuit scholarship. Less than a year after taking office, he purchasedAmos Adams Lawrence's farm onChestnut Hill, six miles (10 km) west of downtown. He organized an international competition for the design of acampus master plan and set about raising funds for the construction of the "new" university. Construction began in 1909.[20]
By 1913, construction costs had surpassed available funds, and, as a result,Gasson Hall, "New BC's" main building, stood alone on Chestnut Hill for its first three years. While Maginnis's ambitious plans were never fully realized, BC's first "capital campaign"—which included a large replica of Gasson Hall's clock tower set up on Boston Common to measure the fundraising progress—ensured that President Gasson's vision survived.
By the 1920s, BC began to fill out the dimensions of its university charter, establishing the Boston College Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, theBoston College Law School, and theWoods College of Advancing Studies, followed successively by theBoston College Graduate School of Social Work, theCarroll School of Management, theConnell School of Nursing, and theLynch School of Education and Human Development. In 1926, Boston College conferred its first degrees on women (though it did not become fully coeducational until 1970). On April 20, 1963, an address by PresidentJohn F. Kennedy, the nation's first Catholic president who had received an honorary degree in 1956, was the highlight of a week-long centennial celebration.[21]
WhenJ. Donald Monan began his presidency on September 5, 1972, Boston College faced significant financial challenges, including a $30 million debt and a frozen salary structure for faculty and staff.[22] During his tenure, the Boston College Board of Trustees was restructured to include lay alumni and business leaders, moving away from its traditional composition of Society of Jesus members. In 1973, Monan appointed Frank B. Campanella as BC’s first executive vice president, focusing on fiscal matters and university administration.[22] Campanella held this position until 1991. In 1974, BC adopted depreciation accounting, a novel approach at the time for universities, reflecting a more sophisticated financial strategy.[22] BC merged withNewton College of the Sacred Heart in that same year, acquiring its 40-acre campus just 1.5 miles away, which allowed theBoston College Law School to relocate and provided much-needed housing for an increasingly residential student body.
In April 1976, BC launched a capital campaign with a goal of raising $21 million but ultimately secured $25 million.[22] By 1982, the university had enjoyed a decade of financial stability, with an endowment of $36 million by the end of the 1981–82 academic year. Following an aggressive capital campaign in 1989 that raised $136 million, the endowment reached $250 million, surpassed $350 million in 1992, and exceeded $500 million by 1995. When Monan transitioned to University Chancellor in 1996, the endowment had grown to $590 million.[22]
Under the presidency ofWilliam P. Leahy, which began after Monan's tenure, Boston College experienced significant growth and development. In 2002, Leahy initiated the Church in the 21st Century program, addressing issues facing the Catholic Church in light of the clergysexual abuse scandal, which positioned BC as a leader in advocating for Church reform.[23] Plans to merge with the Weston Jesuit School of Theology furthered the university's ambition to be a leading intellectual center for Catholic theology in the United States.[24]
In 2007, BC announced a $1.6 billion master plan for campus revitalization over ten years, aiming to enhance facilities and hire new faculty. While the plan received mixed reactions from city officials, it marked a significant step toward expanding the university's capabilities. By June 10, 2009, the Boston College Master Plan was approved by city authorities, allowing the university to enter the design and planning phases for its ambitious development projects. Through these initiatives, Boston College has continued to adapt and evolve as a prominent institution in higher education.[25][26]
The Boston College campus is known generally as the "Heights" and to some as the "Crowned Hilltop" due largely to its location and presence of buildings featuring gothic towers reaching into the sky.[27] Themain campus is also listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[28]
The University also encompasses theConnors Family Retreat and Conference Center inDover, Massachusetts, theWeston Observatory inWeston, Massachusetts, and various other properties in the region.
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Boston College's main campus, located in Chestnut Hill, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown Boston, is 175 acres and features over 120 buildings set atop a hill overlooking theChestnut Hill Reservoir.
The campus is accessible via theBoston College station, situated at St. Ignatius Gate. This station serves as the western terminus of theMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)Green Line'sB branch (also known as the "Boston College" line), connecting the university to downtown Boston and other destinations.
In 2017, Boston College acquired the 24-acre Mishkan Tefila Synagogue property in Chestnut Hill, which was previously used for administrative services and event parking. The synagogue's 806-seat auditorium has since been transformed into the university's largest theater venue for the Robsham Theater Arts Center, alongside a ballroom-style multi-purpose room and a hexagon-shaped meeting room for various events. An outdoor quad is also available for performances and gatherings.[29][30] In 2019, the City of Newton took approximately 17 wooded acres of the property through eminent domain.[31] In 2020, Boston College further expanded its mission by acquiringPine Manor College, a financially struggling liberal arts institution in Chestnut Hill that served a significant number of first-generation and inner-city students.[32]
In 1975, Boston College merged withNewton College of the Sacred Heart. The Centre Street campus of the Newton College has since become housing for freshman of Boston College and the current location of theBoston College Law School.[33] Athletic fields for some of Boston College's teams have also been constructed on Newton Campus. The campus is located 1 mile west of the main campus and is serviced by the university bus system.[34]
Between 2004 and 2007, Boston College acquired 65 acres (260,000 m2) of land from theArchdiocese of Boston.[3][35][36] This included the archdiocese's former headquarters, sold to the university in 2004 for $107,400,000.[37] This land holds a variety of buildings for the school of theology, along with facilities for the men's baseball and women's softball team.[38]
The Brookline campus is home toMessina College (formerly Pine Manor College), which includes several residence halls and other academic and athletic facilities. Messina College opened in July 2024 for over 100 first-generation college students. It offers associate degrees in applied data science, health sciences, general business, and applied psychology and human development. The college emphasizes support for underprivileged students through a residential model, small class sizes, and mentorship, preparing graduates for workforce entry or transfer to four-year institutions.[39]
Its annual operating budget is approximately $1.02 billion.[40] The most recent and ongoing fundraising campaign, dubbed "Soaring Higher", was announced on September 28, 2023. The campaign aims to raise $3 billion, double the last campaign's goal. Of this goal, $1.1 billion is earmarked for student financial aid, $750 million is for student life initiatives, and $1.15 billion is for academic programs.[41]
As of 2005, there were 112 Jesuits living on the Boston College campus, including members of the faculty and administration, graduate students, and visiting international scholars.[42]
Thechapel for the university is located in St. Mary's Hall, the Jesuit residential facility. Additional BC chapels are Trinity Chapel on the Newton Campus, St. Joseph's Chapel in the Basement of Gonzaga Hall on Upper Campus, Simboli Hall Chapel on the Brighton Campus, and St. Catherine of Sienna Chapel in Cushing Hall.[43] Over 70 CatholicMasses are celebrated on Campus each week during the Academic Year. The college also maintains close relations with the nearby Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.[44]
St. Columbkille Parish is aCatholic Church andelementary school inBrighton,Massachusetts, that has an alliance with BC. Under the agreement, the parish school is to be governed by a board of members and aboard of trustees comprising representatives fromthe Archdiocese of Boston, Boston College,St. ColumbkilleParish and thegreater Boston community.[45]
Boston College is made up of a total of nine constituent colleges and schools:[46]
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Boston College tied for 39th among national universities and tied for 625th among global universities inU.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2023-2024" rankings[57] and 88th in theForbes 2023 edition of "America's Top Colleges".[58] In 2016, the undergraduate school of business, theCarroll School of Management, placed 3rd in an annual ranking of U.S. undergraduate business schools byBloomberg Businessweek.[59] A 2007Princeton Review survey of parents that asked "What 'dream college' would you most like to see your child attend were prospects of acceptance or cost not issues?" placed BC 6th.[60] Boston College isaccredited by theNew England Commission of Higher Education.[61]
The Order of the Cross and Crown, founded in 1939,[62] is the College of Arts and Sciences honor society for seniors who have achieved an average of at least A−, as well as established records of unusual service and leadership on the campus. The selections committee, composed of the deans, faculty members, and administration, appoints specially distinguished members of the Order to be its officers as Chief Marshal and Marshals. Induction into the Cross and Crown Honor Society is one of the highest and most prestigious honors that BC students can receive.[63][64]
For the Class of 2028, Boston College received 35,475 applications, of which it admitted 15.9%, approximately the same as for the previous year's class.[78] Theinterquartile (middle 50%) of admitted students of the class of 2025 who submitted test scores under Boston College's test-optional policy possessed scores between 1450 and 1520 on theSAT and 33–34 on theACT.[79] The accepted class includes students from all 50states and 75 foreign countries. The college isneed-blind for domestic applicants.[80]
| Class | Applications | Admitted | Admit rate | Total enrollment | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | 35,475 | 5,632 | 15.9% | 2,394 | 43% |
| 2027 | 36,525 | 5,511 | 15% | 2,335 | 42% |
| 2026 | 40,494 | 6,748 | 16.7% | 2,335 | 37% |
| 2025 | 39,877 | 7,536 | 18.9% | 2,516 | 33% |
| 2024 | 29,400 | 7,752 | 26% | 2,408 | 31% |
| 2023 | 35,552 | 9,679 | 27% | 2,297 | 24% |
| 2022 | 31,084 | 8,669 | 28% | 2,327 | 27% |
| 2021 | 28,454 | 9,223 | 32% | 2,412 | 26% |
| 2020 | 28,956 | 9,017 | 31% | 2,359 | 26% |
| 2019 | 29,486 | 8,405 | 29% | 2,162 | 26% |
| 2018 | 23,223 | 7,875 | 34% | 2,288 | 29% |
Boston College's eight research libraries contain over two million printed volumes. Including manuscripts, journals, government documents and microform items, ranging from ancient papyrus scrolls to digital databases, the collections have some twelve million items. Together with the university's museums, they include original manuscripts and prints byGalileo,Ignatius of Loyola, andFrancis Xavier as well as collections inJesuitana,Irish literature, sixteenth-centuryFlemish tapestries, ancientGreek pottery,Caribbean folk art and literature,Japanese prints,U.S. government documents,Congressional Archives, and paintings that span the history of art fromEurope,Asia, and theAmericas.
Libraries include: O'Neill, Bapst,Burns Library, Educational Resource Center of theLynch School of Education and Human Development, BC Law Library, O'Connor Library atWeston Observatory (Boston College), Social Work Library at theBoston College School of Social Work, and the Theology and Ministry Library.
TheMcMullen Museum of Art, located on Boston College's Brighton campus, was established in 1993 and named in 1996 to honor John J. McMullen's parents. In 2016, it moved to a new facility with nearly double the exhibition space and enhanced features. The museum is recognized for its multidisciplinary exhibitions that contextualize art within broader political and cultural narratives, with notable collections including works by prominent artists such as Winslow Homer and Pablo Picasso. Significant exhibitions have included "Carrie Mae Weems: Strategies of Engagement" and "Saints and Sinners: Caravaggio and the Baroque Image," which helped establish the museum's reputation.
Before theThomas P. O’Neill, Jr. Library opened in 1984, Bapst Library had served as BC’s main research facility since 1925. During Monan's tenure, the university transformed from a small college into a national institution. Monan played a key role in planning O’Neill Library to meet the needs of this transformation.[82] In a 1992 interview, Monan expressed pride in the library's impact, noting how it was often filled with students studying and contributing to the overall learning experience for both students and faculty.[83]
Opened in 1928,Bapst Library was named for the first president of Boston College (Johannes Bapst, 1815 to 1887) and it was one of the few structures built according to Charles Donagh Maginnis' original "Oxford in America" master plan. Bapst served as the university's main library until 1984.[84]
| Race and ethnicity[85] | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58% | ||
| Hispanic | 11% | ||
| Asian | 10% | ||
| Foreign national | 8% | ||
| Other[a] | 8% | ||
| Black | 4% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[b] | 13% | ||
| Affluent[c] | 87% | ||
AHANA is the term Boston College uses to refer to persons ofAfrican-American,Hispanic,Asian, andNative American descent.[86][87] The term was coined at Boston College in 1979 by two students, Alfred Feliciano and Valerie Lewis,[88] who objected to the name "Office of Minority Programs" used by Boston College at the time. They cited the definition of the wordminority as "less than" and proposed, instead, to use the term AHANA which they felt celebrated social cultural differences. After receiving overwhelming approval from the university's board oftrustees, and UGBC president Dan Cotter, the Office of Minority Student Programs became the Office of AHANA Student Programs. The term, or one or its derivative forms, such as ALANA (where "Latino" is substituted for "Hispanic"), has become common on a number of other American university campuses. Boston College, which has registered the term AHANA as atrademark, has granted official permission for its use to over 50 institutions and organizations in theUnited States. Many more use the term unofficially. Other institutions that use the AHANA acronym includeSuffolk University,[89]Cleveland State University,[90]Eastern Mennonite University,[91]Saint Martin's University,[92]Le Moyne College,[93] andSalem State University.[94] There have been cases of racist graffiti and vandalism on dorm walls.[95]
"Alma Mater" was written by T. J. Hurley, who also wrote "For Boston" (the Boston Collegefight song) and was a member of the Class of 1885.[122]
Boston College's athletic teams, known as the Eagles, compete at theNCAA Division I level across various sports, including football in theFootball Bowl Subdivision (FBS). They have been members of theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) since the 2005–06 season after previously competing in theBig East Conference from 1979–80 to 2004–05. Notably, Boston College was the only Catholic institution that played football in the Big East.
The men’s teams participate in several ACC sports, such as baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field. Additionally, the Eagles compete in non-ACC sports like fencing, ice hockey, sailing, and skiing.
The women’s teams have a similarly broad range of sports, including ACC competitions in basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Beyond the ACC, they also compete in fencing, ice hockey, sailing, and skiing.
The main venue for football isAlumni Stadium, which accommodates 44,500 spectators. It stands as the centerpiece of Boston College’s athletic facilities.Conte Forum, housingKelley Rink, serves as the home for basketball and ice hockey, with seating capacities of 8,606 and 7,884, respectively.
The university also offers other key facilities, such asEddie Pellagrini Diamond at John Shea Field, which is the home field for baseball with a capacity of 1,000, and theNewton Soccer Complex, which seats 1,000 fans. The Margot Connell Recreation Center provides additional support for athletic training and student recreation, while theYawkey Athletics Center, opened in 2005, further enhances the university's athletic infrastructure.
The official school colors, maroon and gold, are displayed at all athletic events.
Eagle mascot – Baldwin:
The Eagle serves as the iconic mascot for Boston College, with the characterBaldwin the Eagle representing this symbol of pride and tradition at football, hockey, and basketball games. Baldwin, named as a play on the "bald" head of the American bald eagle and the word "win," embodies the spirit of the Eagles.
"For Boston" is claimed to be America's oldest collegefight song, composed by T. J. Hurley in 1885. It has two verses but the most commonly sung one is the first verse. Boston-based bandDropkick Murphys covered this song on their albumSing Loud, Sing Proud!. Changes have been made to the song, including reworking the phrase "for here men are men" into "for here all are one" in the first verse.
The Eagles annually wear red bandanna-themed uniforms in honor of fallenSeptember 11, 2001 heroWelles Crowther, class of 1999. Crowther, who played on BC's lacrosse team, was an equity trader who died saving the lives of at least 10 people during the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. He used a red bandanna that he often carried to keep from breathing in smoke and debris.[123][124]
TheBoston College Eagles men's ice hockey team has won 5NCAA Hockey Championships, including 2008, 2010, and 2012.Boston College Eagles women's ice hockey have won the Hockey East championship three times, and made seven trips to the Frozen Four of the NCAA tournament. BC participates in the annualBeanpot tournaments held atTD Garden, competing against theNortheastern UniversityHuskies,Harvard University Crimson, andBoston University Terriers.
The Boston College Eagles football team represents Boston College in American football and competes in theNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Home games are played at Alumni Stadium, located on the university's campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The team is currently coached byBill O'Brien, who has previously served as head coach at Penn State and as an offensive coordinator at Alabama and the NFL's New England Patriots.
Founded in 1892, the Eagles have a rich history, winning four Eastern championships in 1940, 1942, 1983, and 1984, as well as a co-Big East championship in 2004. The program claims a national championship in 1940, although this title is not recognized by the NCAA.
With over 690 wins and a postseason bowl game record of 15–13, the team has participated in notable bowls such as the 1941 Sugar Bowl and the 1985 Cotton Bowl. The Eagles have produced aHeisman Trophy winner,Doug Flutie, along with 13 consensus All-Americans and over 200 NFL players. Additionally, eight members of the program have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame, whileArt Donovan andErnie Stautner have earned spots in thePro Football Hall of Fame.
The Boston College Eagles women's lacrosse team is anNCAA Division Icollege lacrosse team representing Boston College as part of theAtlantic Coast Conference. They play their home games atNewton Soccer Complex inNewton, Massachusetts, and occasionally, atAlumni Stadium inChestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
In 1970, BC faced student unrest due to a proposed $500 tuition increase amid a financial crisis, prompting protests and a strike led by students and supported by Professor Harold Petersen. As tensions escalated, students voiced concerns over rising costs and a lack of administrative transparency, ultimately leading to a broader anti-war movement following theKent State shootings. This period was marked by significant campus activism, with BC students pushing for changes that culminated in the severing of ties withROTC in the fall of 1970.[125]
On October 18, 2017, hundreds of students walked out of class in a protest againstracism and to demand the college officials pay more attention to the school's racial climate. The walk out was sparked by the defacing of twoBlack Lives Matter posters and an offensive photo was circulated on social media sites.[126] On December 8, 2018, walls, furniture, and a bathroom in the Welch Hall were vandalized with racist, anti-black graffiti.[95] Also, over the previous months, pro-refugee and Black Lives Matter signs were repeatedly removed around campus.[127]
In 2003, after years of student-led discussions and efforts, and administrators' repeated rejection of pleas from students, the school approved a Gay-Straight Alliance, the first university-funded gay support group on campus. In 2004, between 1,000 and 1,200 students rallied behind a student-led campaign to expand the school's non-discrimination statement to include equal protection for gays and lesbians.[128] Earlier that year 84% of the student body voted in favor of a student referendum calling for a change in policy.[129] After several months of discussion the university changed its statement of nondiscrimination to make it more welcoming to gay students in May 2005, but stopped short of prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.[130]
BC students were universally called "Heightsmen" until 1925 when Caitlin Beckman became the first "Heightswoman" to receive a BC degree. "Heightsonian" was originally conceived as a way to gender neutralize the original term "Heightsmen", though "Eagles", once exclusively used for members of the university's athletics teams, is more commonly used.[42] The term "Golden Eagles" refers strictly to BC graduates who have celebrated their 50th anniversary reunion. "Double Eagles" refer to alumni received an undergraduate and graduate degree from the college and "Triple Eagles" are those alumni who are also attendedBoston College High School.
There are over 179,000 alumni in over 120 countries around the world.[3] Boston College students have been recipients ofRhodes,Marshall,Mellon,Fulbright,Truman,Churchill, andGoldwaterscholarships. Boston College alumni include 3Rhodes, 22 Truman, and 171Fulbright scholars.[131][132][133][134]
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