BC vs. Holy Cross

Should I go to Boston College or College of the Holy Cross? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BC or Holy Cross is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

BU Villanova Northeastern Tufts Babson Colgate Brandeis University NYU Notre Dame University of Richmond Providence Harvard
Boston College vs. College of the Holy Cross comparison
Boston College College of the Holy Cross College 3 College 4
Boston College College of the Holy Cross
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

BC Holy Cross
Location Chestnut Hill, MA Worcester, MA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 15,287 3,083
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #45 #86
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Roman Catholic - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bc.edu holycross.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC Holy Cross
Tuition (In State) $62,950 $57,600
Tuition (Out of State) $62,950 $57,600
Room & Board $16,120 $16,620
Avg Net Price $30,559 $34,679
Avg Grant Aid $49,992 $39,615
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 60%

Admission

BC Holy Cross
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,494 7,036
Admitted 6,748 2,558
Acceptance Rate 16.7% 36.4%
Enrolled % 34.6% 35.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 33/35 28/32
SAT Range 1435/1540 1260/1430
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2024 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

BC Holy Cross
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • History (8%)

Outcomes

BC Holy Cross
Graduation Rate 91% 91%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $90,900 $80,400
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $196 $284

Diversity

BC Holy Cross
% Men 45% 45%
% Women 55% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 62% 70%
% Black 4% 4%
% Hispanic 10% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 2%
% Unknown Race 6% 5%

Students

BC Holy Cross
% In-State 21% 35%
% Out-of-State 71% 61%

Campus

BC Holy Cross
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Boston College is larger than than Holy Cross based on total student enrollment (15,287 students vs. 3,083 students)

BC vs. Holy Cross Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or Holy Cross?

  • Boston College is 9.3% more expensive to attend than Holy Cross for in-state tuition ($62,950.00 vs. $57,600.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.3% higher at BC than College of the Holy Cross ($62,950.00 vs. $57,600.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Boston College than Holy Cross ($30,559 vs. $34,679)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston College are 3.1% lower than costs at College of the Holy Cross ($16,120 vs. $16,620)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at College of the Holy Cross than Boston College (60% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Boston College students is 26.2% larger than aid received College of the Holy Cross ($49,992 vs. $39,615)

BC vs. Holy Cross Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BC or Holy Cross? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Holy Cross or BC .

  • Holy Cross has a higher acceptance rate (36.4%) than BC (16.7%)

BC vs. Holy Cross Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC or Holy Cross? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Holy Cross and BC.

  • The graduation rate at BC is the same as at College of the Holy Cross (91% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Boston College earn on average $10,500 more per year than Holy Cross graduates after ten years. ($90,900 vs. $80,400)
  • Boston College students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Holy Cross graduates. ($19,000 vs. $27,500)
  • BC graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than Holy Cross graduates. ($196 vs. $284)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Holy Cross students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 87%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/