Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA · founded 1863 · 15,000 students · private research university · ACC

Known for: A leading Jesuit Catholic research university renowned for its strong liberal arts education, theology and philosophy programs, highly ranked business and nursing schools, and competitive NCAA Division I athletics, especially hockey and football.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #39
QS World: #601
Times Higher Education: #251
ARWU Shanghai: #301
Forbes: #67

Top programmes

Business
Nursing
Economics
Biology
Political Science
Theology

Notable alumni

John F. Kerry — Former U.S. Secretary of State and Senator.
Amy Poehler — Actress, comedian, and writer.
Doug Flutie — Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
Margaret Heckler — Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Ed McMahon — Television personality and sidekick to Johnny Carson.
Chris O'Donnell — Actor known for 'NCIS: Los Angeles' and 'Batman & Robin'.
Leonard Nimoy — Actor best known as Spock on 'Star Trek' (attended).

Traditions

Modstock (annual spring concert)
Beanpot Tournament (college hockey rivalry)
Eagles for Others community service day
Pops on the Heights (symphony performance)
Marathon Monday viewing from 'the Mods'

If Boston College were…

As a food: Oysters Rockefeller — Classic, refined, East Coast establishment with a rich base — looks traditional on the surface but has surprising depth and a Jesuit conscience underneath the prep.
As an athlete: Doug Flutie — BC's own Heisman winner who threw the miracle Hail Mary against Miami — scrappy, beloved, iconic in New England, and forever associated with clutch Catholic school glory.
As a person alive today: Amy Poehler — BC alumna who balances sharp wit with genuine warmth and social awareness — funny, accomplished, and represents the school's blend of success and service.
As a historical figure: Tip O'Neill — BC Law grad and legendary Speaker of the House — Irish-Catholic Boston political royalty who embodied both the establishment and the working-class roots BC students claim.
As a movie or TV show: The Town — Set in Boston's Irish-Catholic neighborhoods, it's about people trying to transcend their origins while staying loyal to where they came from — BC's entire ethos in a Ben Affleck heist.
As a US president: John F. Kennedy — Boston Irish-Catholic aristocracy, charismatic and idealistic, with that prep-school polish and a call to service — 'ask not what your country can do for you' could be a BC motto.
As a city: Dublin — Historic, Catholic, intellectual with a literary tradition, great pubs, and a population that's simultaneously pious and ready to party — BC's spiritual and cultural homeland.
As an element: Gold — Precious, traditional, associated with old money and church vestments — stable, valued, and shiny on the surface with a dense, serious core. BC's maroon and gold aren't an accident.
As a car: 2024 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription — Swedish engineering meets Jesuit sensibility: refined, safe, family-friendly luxury with serious horsepower underneath. The preppy New England exterior hides a competitive engine, perfect for tailgates at Alumni Stadium

Campus life

Boston College offers a vibrant campus life on its picturesque, collegiate Gothic campus just outside Boston. Social life is active with a strong emphasis on school spirit, Division I sports, and a significant Greek life presence (though chapters are officially unrecognized by the university). The Jesuit tradition influences community service and intellectual engagement.