BC vs. Harvard

Should I go to Boston College or Harvard University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BC or Harvard 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 Stanford Villanova Northeastern Yale Johns Hopkins Princeton MIT Duke Columbia Brown Tufts
Boston College vs. Harvard University comparison
Boston College Harvard University College 3 College 4
Boston College Harvard University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

BC Harvard
Location Chestnut Hill, MA Cambridge, MA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 15,287 30,631
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #45 #4
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bc.edu harvard.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC Harvard
Tuition (In State) $62,950 $52,659
Tuition (Out of State) $62,950 $52,659
Room & Board $16,120 $19,502
Avg Net Price $30,559 $19,491
Avg Grant Aid $49,992 $61,801
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 56%

Admission

BC Harvard
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,494 61,221
Admitted 6,748 1,984
Acceptance Rate 16.7% 3.2%
Enrolled % 34.6% 83%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/36
SAT Range 1435/1540 1490/1580
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 1, 2024

Academics

BC Harvard
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Mathematics (6%)

Outcomes

BC Harvard
Graduation Rate 91% 97%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $90,900 $136,700
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $196 $67

Diversity

BC Harvard
% Men 45% 46%
% Women 55% 54%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 44%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 10% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 6% 11%
% Unknown Race 6% 3%

Students

BC Harvard
% In-State 21% 15%
% Out-of-State 71% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Harvard University is larger than than BC based on total student enrollment (30,631 students vs. 15,287 students)

BC vs. Harvard Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or Harvard?

  • Boston College is 19.5% more expensive to attend than Harvard for in-state tuition ($62,950.00 vs. $52,659.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.5% higher at BC than Harvard University ($62,950.00 vs. $52,659.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Harvard University than BC ($19,491 vs. $30,559)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston College are 21% lower than costs at Harvard University ($16,120 vs. $19,502)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Harvard University than Boston College (56% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Harvard University students is 23.6% larger than aid received Boston College ($61,801 vs. $49,992)

BC vs. Harvard Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Harvard University (1497) is 117 points higher than at BC (1380)
  • Incoming Harvard students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at BC (32)
  • Accepted freshman Harvard students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at BC (3.86)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (16.7%) than Harvard (3.2%)

BC vs. Harvard Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC or Harvard? 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 Harvard and BC.

  • The graduation rate at Harvard is higher than Boston College (97% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Harvard University earn on average $45,800 more per year than BC graduates after ten years. ($136,700 vs. $90,900)
  • Harvard University students graduate with a $12,500 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($6,500 vs. $19,000)
  • Harvard graduates are paying $129 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($67 vs. $196)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Harvard students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 70%)

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