Admissions Factors
What Boston College Looks For
Boston College rates 2 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses and academic GPA.
How Boston College rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Considered
Not considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
16.2%
5,632 of 34,779 applicants
Early decision admit rate
33.4%
Early decision admits equal 60% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
8.5%
352 of 4,139 who stayed on it
90% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Boston College look for in applicants?
Boston College rates 2 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses and academic GPA.
Does Boston College consider legacy status?
Boston College rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2024-25 Common Data Set.
Does Boston College track demonstrated interest?
Boston College rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is Boston College's waitlist acceptance rate?
4,139 students stayed on the waitlist and 352 were admitted, a rate of 8.5%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Boston College's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 1,434 of 4,288 applicants were admitted (33.4%), against 16.2% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Boston College’s own Common Data Set 2024-25, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
