View source for Boston College

{{Short description|Catholic university in Massachusetts, US}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Boston University}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Boston College
 | image_name             = Boston College seal.svg
 | image_upright          = 0.6
 | latin_name             = Collegium Bostoniense<ref>{{Cite web |title=Search |url=https://archive.org/search?query=Collegium+Bostoniense&sin=TXT |website=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>
 | motto                  = ''[[Αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν]]'' ([[Greek language|Greek]])
 | mottoeng               = "Ever to Excel"
 | type                   = [[Private university|Private]] [[research university]]
 | established            = {{start date and age|1863|03|31}}
 | founder                = [[John McElroy (Jesuit)|John McElroy]]
 | accreditation          = [[New England Commission of Higher Education|NECHE]]
 | religious_affiliation  = [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] ([[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]])
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities|AJCU]]|[[Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities|ACCU]]|[[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]]}}
 | endowment              = $3.777 billion (2024)<ref name=NACUBO>{{cite web |url=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL-Feb-12-2025.xlsx |title=U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student |date=February 12, 2025 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |access-date=February 12, 2025 |format=XLSX |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212074654/https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL-Feb-12-2025.xlsx |archive-date=February 12, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 | president              = [[William P. Leahy]]
 | Executive Director     = 
 | provost                = David Quigley
 | faculty                = 917 full-time, 601 part-time
 | administrative_staff   = 
 | students               = 15,234 (fall 2024)<ref>{{cite web |title=Common Data Set Fall 2025 |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/sites/common-data-set.html |publisher=Boston College}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 9,654 (fall 2024)
 | postgrad               = 5,072 (fall 2024)
 | other                  = 508 (fall 2024)
 | city                   = [[Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts]]
 | country                = United States
 | coordinates            = {{Coord|42|20|06|N|71|10|13|W|display=inline,title|region:US-MA_type:edu}}
 | campus                 = {{Plainlist|
* Small City,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=boston&s=all&id=164924|title=IPEDS-Boston College|access-date=November 7, 2021|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112042609/https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=boston&s=all&id=164924|url-status=live}}</ref> {{convert|388 |acre|ha}} (total)<ref name=Factbook/>
* Chestnut Hill (main campus), {{convert|175|acres|ha}}
* Chestnut Hill (Pine Manor Institute), {{convert|48|acres|ha}}
* Newton Campus, {{convert|40|acres|ha}}
* Brighton Campus, {{convert|65|acres|ha}}
}}
 | free_label             = Newspaper
 | free                   = ''[[The Heights&nbsp;(newspaper)|The Heights]]''
 | colors                 = Maroon and gold<ref>{{cite web |title=Boston College Colors |url=https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/styles/bc-web-style-guide/color.html |access-date=November 13, 2022 |archive-date=November 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113235415/https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/styles/bc-web-style-guide/color.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />{{color box|#8A100B}}&nbsp;{{color box|#b29d6c}}
 | sports_nickname        = [[Boston College Eagles|Eagles]]
 | sporting_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[NCAA Division I FBS]] – [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]]|[[Hockey East]]|[[New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association|NEISA]]|[[Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association|EISA]]|[[Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges|EAWRC]]}}
 | mascot                 = [[Baldwin the Eagle]]
 | website                = {{Official URL}}
 | logo                   = Boston College Logotype.svg
 | logo_upright           = .7
}}
'''Boston College''' ('''BC''') is a [[private university|private]] [[Catholic]] [[Jesuits|Jesuit]] [[research university]] in [[Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts]], United States. Founded in 1863 by the [[Society of Jesus]], a Catholic [[Religious order (Catholic)|religious order]], the university has more than 15,000 total students.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Common Data Set |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/sites/bc-news/articles/2024/spring/bc-admits-class-of-2028.html |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Boston College}}</ref> 

Boston College was originally located in the [[South End, Boston|South End]] of [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] before moving most of its campus to [[Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts|Chestnut Hill]] in 1907. Its [[Boston College Main Campus Historic District|main campus is a historic district]] and features some of the earliest examples of [[collegiate gothic]] architecture in [[North America]]. The campus is 6 miles west of [[downtown Boston]]. It offers [[bachelor's degrees]], [[master's degrees]], and [[doctoral degrees]] through its nine colleges and schools. Boston College is classified as a "Research 1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production" university by the [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|Carnegie Classification]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025 |title=Boston College |url=https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/institution/boston-college/|website=Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education |publisher=[[American Council on Education]]}}</ref>

Boston College athletic teams are the [[Boston College Eagles|Eagles]]. Their colors are maroon and gold and their mascot is [[Baldwin the Eagle]]. The Eagles compete in [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] [[Division I (NCAA)|Division I]] as members of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] in all sports offered by the ACC. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in [[Hockey East]]. [[Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey|Boston College's men's ice hockey team]] has won five national championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bceagles.com/sports/m-hockey/bc-m-hockey-body.html |title= Boston College Official Athletic Site Ice Hockey|publisher=Bceagles.Com|access-date=2012-05-23|url-status= dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513142135/http://www.bceagles.com/sports/m-hockey/bc-m-hockey-body.html |archive-date=2012-05-13}}</ref>

[[List of Boston College people|Alumni and affiliates]] of the university include governors, ambassadors, members of Congress, scholars, writers, medical researchers, Hollywood actors, and professional athletes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/about/notable-alumni.html |title=Notable Alumni - About BC - Boston College|website=www.bc.edu|access-date=2019-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501150726/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/about/notable-alumni.html |archive-date=May 1, 2019|url-status= live}}</ref> Boston College alumni include three [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes]], 22 [[Harry S. Truman Scholarship|Truman]], and 171 [[Fulbright Program|Fulbright]] scholars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College Consistently a Top Producer of Fulbrights |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/bc-top-producer-fulbright-10-years.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.bc.edu |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610094726/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/bc-top-producer-fulbright-10-years.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College junior wins Truman Scholarship |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/emma-story-named-truman-scholar.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.bc.edu |archive-date=June 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607032316/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/emma-story-named-truman-scholar.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/rhodes-scholar-2019.html|title=Boston College Alumna Isabelle Stone Selected for Rhodes Scholarship|website=www.bc.edu|access-date=2019-10-20|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727034505/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/rhodes-scholar-2019.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/2019-fulbright-winners.html|title=Thirteen from Boston College Win Fulbright Awards|website=www.bc.edu|access-date=2019-10-20|archive-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727033249/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/2019-fulbright-winners.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:OldBClithograph.jpg|thumb|253px|Early Boston College in [[South End, Boston, Massachusetts|Boston's South End]]]]
{{Further|List of presidents of Boston College}}

===Early history===
Boston College was founded through the efforts of the first Jesuit community in [[New England]], which was established at St. Mary's Church in Boston in 1849.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Statutes |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/sites/bylaws-and-statutes/Statutes.html |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Boston College |language=en}}</ref> Jesuit priest [[John McElroy (Jesuit)|John McElroy]] maintained the vision for what became Boston College, recognizing the need for an educational institution for the [[Irish Catholics|Irish Catholic]] immigrant population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-16 |title=John McElroy - Boston College's founder |url=http://www.irishcentral.com/news/boston-college-celebrates-150th-anniversary-with-mass-at-fenway-park-169946876-237528651.html |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=IrishCentral.com |language=en}}</ref> With the approval of his Jesuit superiors, McElroy raised funds and purchased land for "The Boston College" on Harrison Avenue in the Hudson neighborhood of [[South End, Boston, Massachusetts]], in 1857.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Curran |first=Robert Emmett |date=2023-04-06 |title=James M. O'Toole, Ever to Excel: A History of Boston College |journal=Journal of Jesuit Studies |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=385–390 |doi=10.1163/22141332-10020009-06 |issn=2214-1324|doi-access=free }}</ref>

On April 1, 1863, the college was granted a university charter by the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]], allowing the board of trustees to confer degrees typically awarded by colleges in the state.<ref name=":0" /> [[John Bapst]] served as the first President of Boston College and launched the collegiate instruction program on September 5, 1864.<ref name=":0" />

The average age of students in its early years was fourteen, indicating a strong presence of high schoolers, which aligned with the [[Jesuits|Society of Jesus]]'s preparatory tradition from Europe.<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":1" /> The curriculum was based on the Jesuit ''[[Ratio Studiorum]]'', emphasizing [[Latin]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[philosophy]], and [[theology]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Campa |first1=Pedro F. |last2=Pavur |first2=Claude |date=2006 |title=The &quot;Ratio Studiorum&quot;: The Official Plan for Jesuit Education |url=https://www.academia.edu/347644 |journal=The Sixteenth Century Journal |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=842 |doi=10.2307/20478046 |jstor=20478046 |issn=0361-0160}}</ref>

Expansion of the South End buildings onto James Street enabled increased separation between the high school and college divisions, though [[Boston College High School]] remained a constituent part of Boston College until 1927, when it was separately [[incorporation (business)|incorporated]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Heritage |url=https://www.bchigh.edu/about/our-heritage |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=BC HIGH |language=en}}</ref>

===Move to Chestnut Hill===
In 1907, newly installed president [[Thomas I. Gasson]] determined that BC's cramped, urban quarters in Boston's South End were inadequate and unsuited for significant expansion. Inspired by [[John Winthrop]]'s early vision of Boston as a "[[city upon a hill]]", he re-imagined Boston College as a beacon of [[Jesuit]] scholarship. Less than a year after taking office, he purchased [[Amos Adams Lawrence]]'s farm on [[Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts|Chestnut Hill]], six miles (10&nbsp;km) west of downtown. He organized an international competition for the design of a [[campus]] master plan and set about raising funds for the construction of the "new" university. Construction began in 1909.<ref name="history">{{cite web |date=1909-06-19 |title=History – Boston College |url=http://bc.edu/about/history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103122335/http://www.bc.edu/about/history.html |archive-date=January 3, 2007 |access-date=2012-04-28 |publisher=Bc.edu}}</ref>

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.

=== Academic expansion and co-education ===
By the 1920s, BC began to fill out the dimensions of its university charter, establishing the Boston College Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the [[Boston College Law School]], and the [[Woods College of Advancing Studies]], followed successively by the [[Boston College Graduate School of Social Work]], the [[Carroll School of Management]], the [[Connell School of Nursing]], and the [[Lynch School of Education|Lynch 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 President [[John 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKWHP/1963/Month%2004/Day%2020/JFKWHP-1963-04-20-D |title=Trip to Boston: President Kennedy's Address at Boston College Centennial Ceremonies. Cardinal Cushing, Archbishop of Boston; Governor Endicott Peabody of Massachusetts; Nathan M. Pusey, President of Harvard University; Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) - JFK Library|website=www.jfklibrary.org|access-date=May 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306174808/https://www.jfklibrary.org/asset-viewer/archives/JFKWHP/1963/Month%2004/Day%2020/JFKWHP-1963-04-20-D |archive-date=March 6, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" widths="187px" heights="200px">
File:Gasson Hall in Spring.jpg|Gasson Hall in spring
File:Gasson Hall in Summer.jpg|Gasson Hall in summer
File:Gasson Hall in Autumn.jpg|Gasson Hall in autumn
File:Gasson in Winter.jpg|Gasson Hall in winter
</gallery>

=== Monan's presidency and institutional expansion ===
When [[J. 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.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Connor |date=2017-03-18 |title=Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J., 24th University President, Dies at 92 |url=https://www.bcheights.com/2017/03/18/rev-j-donald-monan-university-president-dead/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=The Heights |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":2" /> BC merged with [[Newton College of the Sacred Heart]] in that same year, acquiring its 40-acre campus just 1.5 miles away, which allowed the [[Boston 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.<ref name=":2" /> 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.<ref name=":2" />

===Continued growth and development ===
[[File:BC Campus Green.jpg|thumb|right|Gasson Quadrangle]]
Under the presidency of [[William 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 clergy [[Sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston|sexual abuse scandal]], which positioned BC as a leader in advocating for Church reform.<ref>{{cite news|first=Scot|last=Lehigh|title=BC is leading the way on church reform|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=2002-06-19|url=https://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories2/061902_lehigh.htm |access-date=April 10, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216041906/http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories2/061902_lehigh.htm |archive-date=February 16, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Weston Jesuit Authorized to Take Next Steps Toward Re-affiliation with Boston College |url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/06/weston-release.pdf |website=Boston College |publisher=Jesuit Conference |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060330120311/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/06/weston-release.pdf |archive-date=30 March 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[File:Boston College Campus Green.jpg|thumb|right|Campus Green]]
[[File:Stokes Hall Amphitheater.jpg|thumb|right|Stokes Hall amphitheater]]

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boston College Submits 10-Year Institutional Master Plan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326103232/http://www.vhb.com/bostoncollege/imp/pdf/masterplan07.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2009 |url=http://www.vhb.com/bostoncollege/imp/pdf/masterplan07.pdf |date=December 5, 2007 |publisher=Boston College}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 2007 |url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/07/ChronicleSupplementDec07.pdf |title=Boston College Announces $1.6 Billion Strategic Investment in Faculty, Academic Programs and Facilities |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227095342/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/07/ChronicleSupplementDec07.pdf |archive-date=2008-02-27 |publisher=Boston College |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Campuses==
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.<ref name="bc-facts">{{cite web |date=2012-02-01 |title=Boston College Facts – Boston College |url=http://www.bc.edu/about/bc-facts.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014205337/http://www.bc.edu/about/bc-facts.html |archive-date=October 14, 2012 |access-date=2012-04-28 |publisher=Bc.edu}}</ref> The [[Boston College Main Campus Historic District|main campus]] is also listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}} Reference#: 90000109</ref>

The University also encompasses the [[Connors Center|Connors Family Retreat and Conference Center]] in [[Dover, Massachusetts]], the [[Weston Observatory (Boston College)|Weston Observatory]] in [[Weston, Massachusetts]], and various other properties in the region.

=== Chestnut Hill campus ===
{{Main|Boston College Main Campus Historic District}}
[[File:Boston College campus aerial from above (Quintin Soloviev).png|thumb|right|Aerial view of the [[Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts|Chestnut Hill]] main campus.]]Boston College's main campus, located in Chestnut Hill, {{convert|6|mi|km}} west of downtown Boston, is 175 acres and features over 120 buildings set atop a hill overlooking the [[Chestnut Hill Reservoir]].

The campus is accessible via the [[Boston College station]], situated at St. Ignatius Gate. This station serves as the western terminus of the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority]] (MBTA) [[Green Line (MBTA)|Green Line]]'s [[Green Line B branch|B branch]] (also known as the "Boston College" line), connecting the university to downtown Boston and other destinations.

==== Other properties ====
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BC closes on $20M acquisition of Chestnut Hill synagogue campus |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2016/07/closes-on-20m-acquisition-of-chestnut-hill.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708130623/http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2016/07/closes-on-20m-acquisition-of-chestnut-hill.html |archive-date=July 8, 2016 |access-date=2018-04-06 |website=bizjournals.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=300 Hammond Pond Parkway Venue Information Packet |url=https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/robsham/pdf/300.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727034555/https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/offices/robsham/pdf/300.pdf |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |access-date=November 27, 2018 |website=February 11, 2018}}</ref> In 2019, the City of Newton took approximately 17 wooded acres of the property through eminent domain.<ref>{{Cite news |author=John Hilliard |date=3 Dec 2019 |title=Newton moves to seize Webster Woods from Boston College |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/newton/2019/12/03/newton-moves-seize-webster-woods-from-boston-college/dBtxRHgGaX9T7vmvMgF7FK/story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205062140/https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/newton/2019/12/03/newton-moves-seize-webster-woods-from-boston-college/dBtxRHgGaX9T7vmvMgF7FK/story.html |archive-date=December 5, 2019 |access-date=5 Dec 2019 |work=Boston Globe}}</ref> In 2020, Boston College further expanded its mission by acquiring [[Pine Manor College]], a financially struggling liberal arts institution in Chestnut Hill that served a significant number of first-generation and inner-city students.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Boston College will take over Pine Manor - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/13/metro/boston-college-will-take-over-pine-manor/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Newton Campus ===
In 1975, Boston College merged with [[Newton 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 the [[Boston College Law School]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Isidoro |first=Andrew |title=Libraries: Boston College University Archives: Newton College of the Sacred Heart |url=https://libguides.bc.edu/universityarchives/sacredheart |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=libguides.bc.edu |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Campuses, Maps & Directions - About BC - Boston College |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/about/maps-and-directions.html |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=www.bc.edu}}</ref>

===Brighton Campus===
Between 2004 and 2007, Boston College acquired {{convert|65|acres|m2}} of land from the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston|Archdiocese of Boston]].<ref name="Factbook">{{cite web|author1=Boston College Office of Institutional Research, Planning & Assessment|title=Boston College Fact Book 2020–2021|url=https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/offices/irp/ir/factbook/factbook_pdfs/20-21_factbook_updated_august2021.pdf|website=bc.edu|publisher=Boston College|access-date=February 2, 2022|date=December 2020|archive-date=December 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206230430/https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/offices/irp/ir/factbook/factbook_pdfs/20-21_factbook_updated_august2021.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories5/042104_sale.htm |title=Abuse in the Catholic Church / The financial cost |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=April 21, 2004 |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051028123112/http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories5/042104_sale.htm |archive-date=October 28, 2005 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories5/042104_statement.htm |title=Abuse in the Catholic Church / Scandal and coverup |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=April 20, 2004 |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050830235347/http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories5/042104_statement.htm |archive-date=August 30, 2005 |url-status=live }}</ref> This included the archdiocese's former headquarters, sold to the university in 2004 for $107,400,000.<ref>{{cite web|author=Paulson, Michael|url=http://archive.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories5/042104_sale.htm|title=Diocesan headquarters sold to BC|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=2004-04-21|access-date=2020-06-27|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224050603/http://archive.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories5/042104_sale.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facilities |url=https://bceagles.com/facilities/harrington-athletics-village/22 |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=Boston College Athletics |language=en}}</ref>

=== Brookline Campus ===
The Brookline campus is home to [[Messina 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farrar |first=Molly |title=BC launches new school for first-generation college students |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/07/24/bcs-messina-college-for-first-gen-students-begins-summer-session/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=www.boston.com |date=July 25, 2024 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Organization and administration==

Its annual operating budget is approximately $1.02 billion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College Financial Statement Summary 2022-2023 |url=https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/offices/FVP/BostonCollegefinancialstatementsummary2023(FINAL).pdf}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College announces $3 billion Soaring Higher campaign |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/sites/bc-news/articles/2023/fall/boston-college-announces-soaring-higher-campaign.html |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=www.bc.edu}}</ref>

===Catholic and Jesuit===
[[File:St. Ignatius of Loyola Statue.jpg|thumb|right|St. Ignatius of Loyola statue by Bolivian-born artist [[Pablo Eduardo]].]]
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.<ref name="disamBCM">Voosen, Paul. "[http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/winter_2006/linden_lane/disambiguation.html Disambiguation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929104558/http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/winter_2006/linden_lane/disambiguation.html |date=September 29, 2011 }}." December 7, 2005, ''Boston College Magazine''. Retrieved December 26, 2006.</ref>

The [[chapel]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bc.edu/offices/ministry/liturgy/university-chapels.html |title=University Chapels - Campus Ministry - Boston College|website=www.bc.edu|access-date=February 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311114305/http://www.bc.edu/offices/ministry/liturgy/university-chapels.html |archive-date=March 11, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Over 70 Catholic [[Catholic Mass|Masses]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/prs/stign/about_us.html |title=The Parish of St. Ignatius of Loyola|publisher=Bc.edu|access-date=2012-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302032914/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/prs/stign/about_us.html |archive-date=March 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Affiliated institutions===
[[Saint Columba|St. Columbkille]] Parish is a [[Catholic Church]] and [[elementary school]] in [[Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts|Brighton]], [[Massachusetts]], that has an alliance with BC. Under the agreement, the parish school is to be governed by a board of members and a [[board of trustees]] comprising representatives from [[Archdiocese of Boston|the Archdiocese of Boston]], Boston College, [[Saint Columbkille|St. Columbkille]] [[Parish]] and the [[greater Boston]] community.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v14/mr30/partnership.html |title=The Boston College Chronicle |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2006-03-30 |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117134547/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v14/mr30/partnership.html |archive-date=2012-01-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Academics==
===Schools and colleges===
[[File:Boson College sign.jpg|right|thumb|St. Ignatius Gate entrance]]
Boston College is made up of a total of nine constituent colleges and schools:<ref name="carnegie">{{cite web|url=http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/sub.asp?key=748&subkey=14631&start=782 |title=Boston College |publisher=Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching|access-date=2009-07-03}}</ref>
* [[Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences]]
* [[Carroll School of Management]]
* [[Lynch School of Education|Lynch School of Education and Human Development]]
* [[Connell School of Nursing]]
* [[Boston College School of Social Work]]
* [[Boston College Law School]]
* [[Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theology and Ministry]]
* [[Woods College of Advancing Studies]]
* [[Messina College]]

===Rankings===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{{Infobox US university ranking
<!-- U.S. rankings -->| Forbes = 59
| THE_WSJ = 100
| USNWR_NU = 37
| Wamo_NU = 50
| QS_W = 631–640
| THES_W = 251–300
| USNWR_W = 625
| ARWU_W = 501–600
}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="float:right; text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=4 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Boston College Eagles|color=white}}" |National Program Rankings<ref name="USNWR Grad School Rankings">{{cite magazine|title=Boston College&nbsp;– U.S. News Best Grad School Rankings|magazine=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=September 2, 2020|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/boston-college-164924/overall-rankings|archive-date=January 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126234952/https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/boston-college-164924/overall-rankings|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! Program
! Ranking
|-
| Biological Sciences || 112
|-
| Business || 48
|-
| Chemistry || 52
|-
| Economics || 25
|-
| Education || 19
|-
| English || 51
|-
| History || 41
|-
| Law || 29
|-
| Nursing–Anesthesia || 22
|-
| Nursing: Master's || 27
|-
| Physics || 71
|-
| Political Science || 61
|-
| Psychology || 53
|-
| Social Work || 10
|-
| Sociology || 42
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="float:right; text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=4 style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Boston College Eagles|color=white}}" |Global Subject Rankings<ref name="USNWR Global Univ Rankings">{{cite magazine|title=Boston College&nbsp;– U.S. News Best Global University Rankings|magazine=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=September 2, 2020|url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/boston-college-164924|archive-date=May 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505180116/https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/boston-college-164924|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! Program
! Ranking
|-
| Arts & Humanities || 188
|-
| Chemistry || 304
|-
| Economics & Business || 53
|-
| Social Sciences & Public Health || 335
|-
| Theology, Divinity, and Religion || 7

|}

{{col-end}}

Boston College tied for 39th among national universities and tied for 625th among global universities in ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''{{'s}} "America's Best Colleges 2023-2024" rankings<ref name="USNWR">{{cite news|url= https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/boston-college-2128 |title=Boston College|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|access-date=February 15, 2024}}</ref> and 88th in the ''[[Forbes]]'' 2023 edition of "America's Top Colleges".<ref name="America's Top Colleges">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/ |title=America's Top Colleges|work=[[Forbes]] |access-date=February 15, 2024}}</ref> In 2016, the undergraduate school of business, the [[Carroll School of Management]], placed 3rd in an annual ranking of U.S. undergraduate business schools by ''[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rodkin |first=Jonathan |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-best-undergrad-business-schools/ |title=Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2016 |newspaper=Bloomberg.com |access-date=2019-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426203140/http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-best-undergrad-business-schools/ |archive-date=April 26, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2007 [[Princeton 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/07/DreamCollege07.pdf |title=BC PLACES 6TH IN PRINCETON REVIEW'S SURVEY OF PARENTS' TOP 10 "DREAM COLLEGES"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615125757/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/07/DreamCollege07.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-15|url-status=dead}}</ref> Boston College is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[New England Commission of Higher Education]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Massachusetts Institutions – NECHE|publisher=[[New England Commission of Higher Education]]|url=https://www.neche.org/institutions/ma/|access-date=May 26, 2021|archive-date=October 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009082139/https://www.neche.org/institutions/ma/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Order of the Cross and Crown===
The Order of the Cross and Crown, founded in 1939,<ref>''History of Boston College: From the Beginnings to 1990'', Donovan, Dunigan, FitzGerald, 1990</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcheights.com/2.6176/seniors-honored-at-induction-1.921518 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222134416/http://www.bcheights.com/2.6176/seniors-honored-at-induction-1.921518 |url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2014|title=Seniors honored at induction - News - The Heights - Boston College|date=February 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/cas/services/students/awards/ordcrosscrown.html |title=Order of the Cross and Crown|access-date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202349/http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/cas/services/students/awards/ordcrosscrown.html |archive-date=February 22, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Research===
{{See also|Research centers at Boston College}}

====Scholarly publications====
* ''[[Boston College Law Review]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/bclawreview/ |title=Boston College Law Review |publisher=Boston College |date=March 23, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522185933/http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/bclawreview/ |archive-date=May 22, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''C21 Resources'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/church21/c21resources/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050810003640/http://www.bc.edu/church21/c21resources/ |url-status=dead |title=C21 Resources |publisher=Boston College |archive-date=August 10, 2005}}</ref> a progressive journal of contemporary Catholic issues, published by BC's Church in the 21st Century Center.
* ''Dianoia: The Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Boston College'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/philosophy/undergraduate/dianoia.html |title=Dianoia |publisher=Boston College |access-date=January 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225214742/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/philosophy/undergraduate/dianoia.html |archive-date=December 25, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> a journal featuring undergraduate work in philosophy from around the world.
* ''The Eagletarian'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bc.edu/clubs/ea/publication.html |title=Untitled Document |publisher=Boston College |access-date=June 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715072945/http://www.bc.edu/clubs/ea/publication.html |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> published by The BC Economics Association.
* ''Guide to Jesuit Education''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/offices/mission/publications/guide.html |title=A Pocket Guide to Jesuit Education |publisher=Boston College |date=December 3, 2010 |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117122744/http://www.bc.edu/offices/mission/publications/guide.html |archive-date=January 17, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/ |title=Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment |website=eScholarship@BC |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426040602/http://escholarship.bc.edu/jtla/ |archive-date=April 26, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''Lumen et Vita: The Graduate Academic Journal of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/lumenetvita/index/ |title=Lumen et Vita |website=Open Access Journals at Boston College |access-date=August 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227032002/http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/lumenetvita/index |archive-date=December 27, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''New Arcadia Review''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/newarcadia |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730143047/http://www.bc.edu/newarcadia |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |title=The New Arcadia Review |publisher=Boston College |date=January 14, 2009 |access-date=April 28, 2012}}</ref>
* ''Religion and the Arts Journal''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/publications/relarts/ |title=Religion and the Arts Journal |publisher=Boston College |date=November 9, 2010 |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327155709/http://www.bc.edu/publications/relarts/ |archive-date=March 27, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/ |title=Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations |website=eScholarship@BC |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110530114339/http://escholarship.bc.edu/scjr/ |archive-date=May 30, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> the official journal of the [[Christian–Jewish reconciliation#Joint efforts|Council of Centers of Jewish-Christian Relations]] (CCJR)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccjr.us/ |title=Welcome |website=Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401185013/http://www.ccjr.us/ |archive-date=April 1, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> and is published by the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College and the Boston College Libraries.
* ''Teaching Exceptional Children / Teaching Exceptional Children Plus''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614201819/http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/ |url-status=dead |title=Teaching Exceptional Children / Plus |website=eScholarship@BC |archive-date=June 14, 2006}}</ref>
* ''Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/uccrd.html |title=Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest |publisher=Boston College |date=January 31, 2012 |access-date=April 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509225928/http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/lawreviews/uccrd.html |archive-date=May 9, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Admissions ===
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet BC's Class of 2028 |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/admission/apply/admission-statistics.html|website=www.bc.edu}}</ref> The [[interquartile range|interquartile]] (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 the [[SAT]] and 33–34 on the [[ACT (test)|ACT]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Admissions Statistics |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/admission/apply/admission-statistics.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024023438/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/admission/apply/admission-statistics.html |archive-date=October 24, 2019 |access-date=2022-01-25 |website=bc.edu |language=en-US}}</ref> The accepted class includes students from all 50 [[U.S. state|states]] and 75 foreign countries. The college is [[need-blind]] for domestic applicants.<ref>{{cite web |title=Undergraduate Financial Aid: Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/offices/student-services/financial-aid/undergraduate/faqs.html |access-date=3 May 2023 |website=Office of Student Services |publisher=Boston College}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Admissions figures by class year<ref name="Factbook" /><ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Boston College Fact Book 2020-2021 |url=https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/offices/irp/ir/factbook/factbook_pdfs/20-21_factbook.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510045928/https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/bc1/offices/irp/ir/factbook/factbook_pdfs/20-21_factbook.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |website=bc.edu |publisher=Boston College Office of Institutional Research, Planning & Assessment |page=32}}</ref>
!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%
|}

== Libraries and museums ==
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 by [[Galileo]], [[Ignatius of Loyola]], and [[Francis Xavier]] as well as collections in [[Jesuit]]ana, [[Ireland|Irish]] literature, sixteenth-century [[Flanders|Flemish]] tapestries, ancient [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] pottery, [[Caribbean]] folk art and literature, [[Japanese art|Japanese prints]], [[United States federal government|U.S. government]] documents, [[Congressional archives|Congressional Archives]], and paintings that span the history of art from [[Europe]], [[Asia]], and the [[Americas]].

Libraries include: O'Neill, Bapst, [[Burns Library]], Educational Resource Center of the [[Lynch School of Education and Human Development]], BC Law Library, O'Connor Library at [[Weston Observatory (Boston College)]], Social Work Library at the [[Boston College School of Social Work]], and the Theology and Ministry Library.

=== McMullen Museum of Art ===
The [[McMullen 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.

=== O'Neill Library ===
Before the [[Tip O'Neill|Thomas 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Building Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Library – J. Donald Monan, SJ (1924–2017) |url=https://library.bc.edu/father-monan/building-oneill-library/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The First 20 Years |url=https://archive.org/details/bostoncollegemagf1992bost/page/32/mode/1up?view=theater |last=Delaney |first=Patricia |date=Fall 1992 |volume=51 |number=4 |magazine=Boston College Magazine |page=32}}</ref>

=== Bapst Library ===
[[File:Gargan Hall Bapst Library.jpg|thumb|right|Gargan Hall, Bapst Library]]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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=@BC |url=http://www.bc.edu/publications/atbc/features/innerfire/slideshow/01.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050503124321/http://www.bc.edu/publications/atbc/features/innerfire/slideshow/01.html |archive-date=May 3, 2005}}</ref>

==Student life==
{| class="wikitable floatright sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web|title=College Scorecard: Boston College|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?164924-Boston-College|publisher=[[United States Department of Education]]|access-date=May 8, 2022|archive-date=June 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615172859/https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?164924-Boston-College|url-status=live}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|58|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|11|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|10|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Foreign national]]
|align=right| {{bartable|8|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| Other{{efn|Other consists of [[Multiracial Americans]] & those who prefer to not say.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|8|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|13|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|87|%|2||background:black}}
|}

===AHANA===
AHANA is the term Boston College uses to refer to persons of [[African-American]], [[Hispanic]], [[Asian people|Asian]], and [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] descent.<ref>A Companion to Media Studies - Page 289 by Angharad N. Valdivia</ref><ref>'Minority' Label Gets A Second Look in Boston - ''[[The Boston Globe]]''</ref> The term was coined at Boston College in 1979 by two students, Alfred Feliciano and Valerie Lewis,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v13/n18/ahana.html |title=The Boston College Chronicle|access-date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608191102/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/rvp/pubaf/chronicle/v13/n18/ahana.html |archive-date=2015-06-08|url-status=dead}}</ref> who objected to the name "Office of Minority Programs" used by Boston College at the time. They cited the definition of the word [[minority group|minority]] 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 of [[trustees]], 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 (demonym)|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 a [[trademark]], has granted official permission for its use to over 50 institutions and organizations in the [[United States]]. Many more use the term unofficially. Other institutions that use the AHANA acronym include [[Suffolk University]],<ref>{{cite web|title=AHANA PROGRAMS & SERVICES|url=http://www2.suffolk.edu/campuslife/ahana.html |work=Suffolk University|access-date=January 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229221341/http://suffolk.edu/campuslife/ahana.html |archive-date=December 29, 2011}}</ref> [[Cleveland State University]],<ref>{{cite web|title=AHANA Program|url=http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/odama/ahana/ |work=Cleveland State University|access-date=January 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104011851/http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/odama/ahana/ |archive-date=January 4, 2013}}</ref> [[Eastern Mennonite University]],<ref>{{cite web|title=The AHANA student grant|url=http://www.emu.edu/studentlife/multicultural/ahana/ |work=Eastern Mennonite University|access-date=January 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112074416/http://emu.edu/studentlife/multicultural/ahana/ |archive-date=November 12, 2012}}</ref> [[Saint Martin's University]],<ref>{{cite web|title=AHANA Connections|url=http://www.stmartin.edu/oii/ProgramsServices/Ahana.aspx |work=Saint Martin's University|access-date=January 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511155601/http://www.stmartin.edu/oii/ProgramsServices/Ahana.aspx |archive-date=May 11, 2013}}</ref> [[Le Moyne College]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Opportunity Programs|url=http://www.lemoyne.edu/tabid/501/Default.aspx |work=LeMoyne|publisher=LeMoyne College|access-date=January 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508113244/http://www.lemoyne.edu/tabid/501/Default.aspx |archive-date=May 8, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Salem State University]].<ref>{{cite web|title=AHANA Programs and Services|url=http://www.salemstate.edu/4068.php |work=Salem State University|access-date=January 10, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621003920/http://www.salemstate.edu/4068.php |archive-date=June 21, 2009}}</ref> There have been cases of racist graffiti and vandalism on dorm walls.<ref name="bcgavel.com">{{Cite web |date=2018-12-09 |title=Breaking News: Welch Hall Vandalized With Racist Slurs |url=http://www.bcgavel.com/2018/12/09/welch-hall-vandalized-with-racist-slurs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210015918/http://www.bcgavel.com/2018/12/09/welch-hall-vandalized-with-racist-slurs/ |archive-date=December 10, 2018 |access-date=2018-12-09 |website=BANG. |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Student media===
;Newspapers
* ''[[The Heights (newspaper)|The Heights]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcheights.com |title=The Heights |publisher=Bcheights.com |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060506081337/http://www.bcheights.com/ |archive-date=May 6, 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> the principal [[student newspaper]], published weekly; established in 1919
* ''The Gavel'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcgavel.com |website=bcgavel.com |title=The Gavel - Progressive Student Voice of Boston College |access-date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610103229/http://bcgavel.com/ |archive-date=June 10, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> an independent progressive student magazine; launched on October 27, 2009. ''The Gavel'' publishes most articles online, but brought back its print edition in the Spring of 2018.
* ''The Torch'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetorchbc.com |title=Home - The Torch BC |website=thetorchbc.com |access-date=June 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801235245/http://www.thetorchbc.com/ |archive-date=August 1, 2015|url-status=dead }}</ref> an independent Catholic student newspaper that publishes stories covering Catholic news on campus and around the world as well as student faith reflections.  It was established in 2013.
* ''The New England Classic'',<ref>''[http://www.thenewenglandclassic.com The New England Classic]'', {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212093332/https://thenewenglandclassic.com/ |date=December 12, 2019 }}.</ref> a satirical newspaper unrecognized by the university but regularly published and distributed on campus; launched in Fall 2007 and is independently funded.
* ''Colloquium Political Science Journal'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/colloquium/about|title=About the Journal |website=Colloquium: The Political Science Journal of Boston College |access-date=December 13, 2020|archive-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412140727/https://ejournals.bc.edu/index.php/colloquium/about|url-status=live}}</ref> The political science journal of Boston College that is sponsored by the Institute for the Liberal Arts at Boston College.

;Broadcasting
* [[WZBC]], 90.3 FM,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wzbc.org/ |title=WZBC |publisher=wzbc.org |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051223094349/http://www.wzbc.org/ |archive-date=December 23, 2005 |url-status=live }}</ref> the student-run [[radio station]] which provides independent and experimental music
* Boston College Television (BCTV),<ref>{{Cite web |title=UGBC TV |url=http://www.ugbc.org/ugbctv/index.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060630153232/http://www.ugbc.org/ugbctv/index.asp |archive-date=June 30, 2006 |website=Undergraduate Government of Boston College }}</ref> a student-run cable [[television station]] that formerly featured a show known as ''Now You Know'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Now You Know |url=http://www.ugbc.org/nyk/index.php |website= UGBC.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908054209/http://www.ugbc.org/nyk/index.php |archive-date=September 8, 2008}}</ref> but now reports on student life, sports, entertainment, and other subjects

;Other notable publications
* ''Sub Turri'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/clubs/subturri/ |title=Sub Turri |publisher=Bc.edu |access-date=2012-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060109072316/http://www.bc.edu/clubs/subturri/ |archive-date=January 9, 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref> (''Under the Tower'') the Boston College [[yearbook]], published since 1913
* ''[[The Stylus of Boston College]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/st_org/stylus/ |title=The Stylus |publisher=Bc.edu |access-date=2012-04-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414043035/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/st_org/stylus/ |archive-date=2012-04-14 }}</ref> the undergraduate literary magazine, founded in 1882
* ''Elements Undergraduate Research Journal'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/elements |title=Elements – The Undergraduate Research Journal of Boston College |publisher=Bc.edu |access-date=2010-05-18 |archive-date=February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217165321/https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/academics/sites/elements.html |url-status=live }}</ref> the premier undergraduate research journal of Boston College, published twice a year
* ''[[Al Noor]]: The Undergraduate Middle Eastern Studies Journal of Boston College'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bcalnoor.org/ |title=Al-Noor: The Boston College Undergraduate Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Journal|date=2009-08-21|publisher=Bc.edu|access-date=2010-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611013254/http://www.bcalnoor.org/ |archive-date=June 11, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> one of the only undergraduate Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Journals in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newspapers.bc.edu/cgi-bin/bostonsh?a=d&d=bcheights20080501.2.29 |title=The Heights – Journal sheds light on the Middle East|publisher=Bcheights.com|access-date=2010-05-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921141722/http://newspapers.bc.edu/cgi-bin/bostonsh?a=d&d=bcheights20080501.2.29 |archive-date=September 21, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://at.bc.edu/2010-01-19/ |title=@BC » Feature Archive » Journal entries |publisher=At.bc.edu |date=2010-01-20 |access-date=2010-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611104150/http://at.bc.edu/2010-01-19/ |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Kaleidoscope International Journal'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bc.edu/kaleidoscope |title=Kaleidoscope International Journal |publisher=Bc.edu |access-date=2014-03-17}}</ref> the international relations and global studies journal of Boston College
* ''Dianoia: The Undergraduate Philosophy Journal of Boston College''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/philosophy/undergraduate/dianoia.html|title=Dianoia - Philosophy Department - Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences - Boston College|website=www.bc.edu|access-date=January 5, 2019|archive-date=December 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225214742/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/philosophy/undergraduate/dianoia.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Ensembles
* BC bOp!,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/bcbop.html |title=BC bOp! – Boston College |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2009-09-28 |access-date=2010-05-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527224306/http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/bcbop.html |archive-date=2010-05-27 }}</ref> the Boston College [[jazz band]]
* [[Boston College Marching Band|Boston College "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/marching.html |title=Marching Band – Boston College |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2010-04-08 |access-date=2010-05-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528002632/http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/marching.html |archive-date=2010-05-28 }}</ref>
* Boston College Symphony Orchestra,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/cas/music/SymphonyOrchestra.html |title=Boston College Symphony Orchestra |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2012-09-28 |access-date=2013-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502061008/http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/cas/music/SymphonyOrchestra.html |archive-date=May 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Pep Band,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/pep.html |title=Pep Band – Boston College |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2009-10-26 |access-date=2010-05-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528011659/http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/pep.html |archive-date=2010-05-28 }}</ref> the ensemble that performs at [[Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey|Boston College hockey]] and basketball games
* University Wind Ensemble of Boston College<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/concert.html |title=University Wind Ensemble of Boston College |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2010-04-22 |access-date=2010-05-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528011902/http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/concert.html |archive-date=2010-05-28 }}</ref>
* University Symphonic Band<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/symphonicband.html |title=University Symphonic Band – Boston College |publisher=Bc.edu |date=2009-10-19 |access-date=2010-05-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528230439/http://www.bc.edu/offices/odsd/bands/ensembles/symphonicband.html |archive-date=2010-05-28 }}</ref>
* University Chorale of Boston College<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/st_org/chorale/ |title=The University Chorale of Boston College |publisher=bc.edu |date=2011-02-28 |access-date=2011-02-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102041354/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/st_org/chorale/ |archive-date=2012-11-02 }}</ref>
* Madrigal Singers of Boston College<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bcmadrigals.wordpress.com/ |title=The Madrigal Singers of Boston College|date=2011-02-17|publisher=wordpress.com|access-date=2012-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020032853/https://bcmadrigals.wordpress.com/ |archive-date=October 20, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Theater performance ====

* The Dramatics Society<ref>{{Cite web|title=BC Theater - Get Involved|url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/theatre/get-involved.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-23|website=BC.edu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225224524/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/theatre/get-involved.html |archive-date=December 25, 2017 }}</ref>
* Contemporary Theater<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contemporary Theatre Club Boston College 's Flowpage|url=https://www.flow.page/contemporarytheatre|access-date=2021-11-23|website=www.flow.page|language=en}}</ref>

=== ''Alma mater'' ===
"Alma Mater" was written by T. J. Hurley, who also wrote "[[For Boston]]" (the Boston College [[fight song]]) and was a member of the Class of 1885.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/fall_2014/linden_lane/tune-full.html |title=Tune-full |last=McGrann |first=Jeremiah|date=2014|publisher=bc.edu |access-date=2018-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224153643/http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/fall_2014/linden_lane/tune-full.html |archive-date=February 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Eagles athletics program==
{{Main|Boston College Eagles}}

[[File:Conte Forum Boston College.png|right|thumb|Silvio O. Conte Forum]]
Boston College's athletic teams, known as the Eagles, compete at the [[NCAA Division I]] level across various sports, including football in the [[Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS). They have been members of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) since the 2005–06 season after previously competing in the [[Big 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.

=== Athletic facilities ===
The main venue for football is [[Alumni Stadium]], which accommodates 44,500 spectators. It stands as the centerpiece of Boston College’s athletic facilities. [[Conte Forum]], housing [[Conte Forum|Kelley 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 as [[Eddie Pellagrini Diamond]] at John Shea Field, which is the home field for baseball with a capacity of 1,000, and the [[Newton Soccer Complex]], which seats 1,000 fans. The Margot Connell Recreation Center provides additional support for athletic training and student recreation, while the [[Yawkey Athletics Center]], opened in 2005, further enhances the university's athletic infrastructure.[[File:Ice Hockey Conte Forum.jpg|right|thumb|An ice hockey game played at "Kelley Rink", Conte Forum.]]

=== Traditions and mascot ===
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 character [[Baldwin 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.

==== Fight Song: "For Boston" ====
{{Main|For Boston}}

"For Boston" is claimed to be America's oldest college [[fight song]], composed by T. J. Hurley in 1885. It has two verses but the most commonly sung one is the first verse. Boston-based band [[Dropkick Murphys]] covered this song on their album ''[[Sing 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. [[File:Alumni Stadium Boston College.jpg|thumb|right|Alumni Stadium, home of the Boston College Eagles.]]

==== Red bandanas ====
The Eagles annually wear red bandanna-themed uniforms in honor of fallen [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]] hero [[Welles 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kilgannon |first=Corey |date=September 8, 2017 |title=Saved on 9/11, by the Man in the Red Bandanna |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/nyregion/welles-crowther-man-in-red-bandanna-911.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331145600/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/nyregion/welles-crowther-man-in-red-bandanna-911.html |archive-date=March 31, 2018 |access-date=March 25, 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtJJViD_Hh8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025030132/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtJJViD_Hh8 |archive-date=October 25, 2017 |access-date=March 25, 2018 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

=== Hockey ===
The [[Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey]] team has won 5 [[NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament|NCAA 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 annual [[Beanpot (ice hockey)|Beanpot]] tournaments held at [[TD Garden]], competing against the [[Northeastern University (Boston, Massachusetts)|Northeastern University]] [[Northeastern Huskies|Huskies]], [[Harvard University]] Crimson, and [[Boston University Terriers]].

===Football===
{{Main|Boston College Eagles football}}

{{see also|Flutie effect|Holy War (Boston College–Notre Dame)}}
[[File:Boston Eagles footb 1893.gif|thumb|right|Boston College's first football team in 1893.]]
The Boston College Eagles football team represents Boston College in American football and competes in the [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS) as a member of the [[Atlantic 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 by [[Bill O'Brien (American football)|Bill 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 a [[Heisman Trophy winners|Heisman 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 the [[College Football Hall of Fame]], while [[Art Donovan]] and [[Ernie Stautner]] have earned spots in the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]].

===Women's lacrosse===
{{Main|Boston College Eagles women's lacrosse}}

The Boston College Eagles women's lacrosse team is an [[NCAA Division I]] [[college lacrosse]] team representing Boston College as part of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]]. They play their home games at [[Newton Soccer Complex]] in [[Newton, Massachusetts]], and occasionally, at [[Alumni Stadium]] in [[Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts]].

== Protests and controversy ==

=== 1970 protest ===
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 the [[Kent State shootings]]. This period was marked by significant campus activism, with BC students pushing for changes that culminated in the severing of ties with [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps|ROTC]] in the fall of 1970.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Reilly |first1=Maeve |last2=Fahy |first2=Owen |last3=Lonnquist |first3=Anna |last4=Kiersznowski |first4=Julia |date=2020-05-05 |title=The Student Strikes of 1970 |url=https://www.bcheights.com/2020/05/05/tuition-strike/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=The Heights |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Protests against racism ===
On October 18, 2017, hundreds of students walked out of class in a protest against [[Racism in the United States|racism]] and to demand the college officials pay more attention to the school's racial climate. The walk out was sparked by the defacing of two [[Black Lives Matter]] posters and an offensive photo was circulated on social media sites.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sweeney |first=Emily |date=2017-10-18 |title=Hundreds of BC students walk out of class to rally against racism |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/18/hundreds-boston-college-students-attend-rally-against-racism-campus/G7m2pJpr2I1FvPTchRRtjO/story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123080830/http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/18/hundreds-boston-college-students-attend-rally-against-racism-campus/G7m2pJpr2I1FvPTchRRtjO/story.html |archive-date=November 23, 2017 |access-date=2017-10-19 |work=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref> On December 8, 2018, walls, furniture, and a bathroom in the Welch Hall were vandalized with racist, anti-black graffiti.<ref name="bcgavel.com" /> Also, over the previous months, pro-refugee and Black Lives Matter signs were repeatedly removed around campus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-19 |title=Black Lives Matter, Pro-Refugee Signage Removed From Communication Department |url=http://www.bcgavel.com/2018/10/19/black-lives-matter-pro-refugee-signage-removed-from-communication-department/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210015901/http://www.bcgavel.com/2018/10/19/black-lives-matter-pro-refugee-signage-removed-from-communication-department/ |archive-date=December 10, 2018 |access-date=2018-12-09 |website=BANG.}}</ref>

=== LGBT ===
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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Russell |first=Jennifer |date=2005-04-16 |title=1,000 rally for gay rights at college |url=https://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/04/16/1000_rally_for_gay_rights_at_college/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528175507/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/04/16/1000_rally_for_gay_rights_at_college/ |archive-date=May 28, 2006 |access-date=October 2, 2006 |work=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref> Earlier that year 84% of the student body voted in favor of a student referendum calling for a change in policy.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mark |first=Alexis |date=2005-03-03 |title=Support shown for referendum |url=http://www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2005/03/03/News/Support.Shown.For.Referendum-884268.shtml?norewrite200610020930&sourcedomain=www.bcheights.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729161554/http://www.bcheights.com/media/storage/paper144/news/2005/03/03/News/Support.Shown.For.Referendum-884268.shtml?norewrite200610020930&sourcedomain=www.bcheights.com |archive-date=2012-07-29 |work=[[The Heights (newspaper)|The Heights]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Russell |first=Jenna |date=2005-05-10 |title=Boston College set to adopt language that welcomes gays |url=https://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/05/10/boston_college_set_to_adopt_language_that_welcomes_gays/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050524004419/http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2005/05/10/boston_college_set_to_adopt_language_that_welcomes_gays/ |archive-date=May 24, 2005 |access-date=October 2, 2006 |work=[[The Boston Globe]]}}</ref>

==Notable persons==
{{Main|List of Boston College people}}

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.<ref name=disamBCM /> 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 attended [[Boston College High School]].

There are over 179,000 alumni in over 120 countries around the world.<ref name=Factbook/> Boston College students have been recipients of [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes]], [[Marshall scholarship|Marshall]], [[Andrew W. Mellon Foundation|Mellon]], [[Fulbright Award|Fulbright]], [[Harry S. Truman|Truman]], [[Winston Churchill|Churchill]], and [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] [[scholarship]]s. Boston College alumni include 3 [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes]], 22 Truman, and 171 [[Fulbright Program|Fulbright]] scholars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College Consistently a Top Producer of Fulbrights |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/bc-top-producer-fulbright-10-years.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610094726/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/bc-top-producer-fulbright-10-years.html |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.bc.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College junior wins Truman Scholarship |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/emma-story-named-truman-scholar.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607032316/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/emma-story-named-truman-scholar.html |archive-date=June 7, 2022 |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=www.bc.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Boston College Alumna Isabelle Stone Selected for Rhodes Scholarship |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/rhodes-scholar-2019.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727034505/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/rhodes-scholar-2019.html |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |access-date=2019-10-20 |website=www.bc.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Thirteen from Boston College Win Fulbright Awards |url=https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/2019-fulbright-winners.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727033249/https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/honors/2019-fulbright-winners.html |archive-date=July 27, 2020 |access-date=2019-10-20 |website=www.bc.edu}}</ref>
<gallery class="center" mode="nolines">
File:John Kerry official Secretary of State portrait.jpg|[[John F. Kerry]]<br />[[United States Secretary of State|U.S. Secretary of State]]<br />[[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]]<br />2004 [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|Presidential nominee]]<br />J.D.&nbsp;1976
File:Moniz official portrait standing.jpg|[[Ernest Moniz]]<br />[[U.S. Secretary of Energy]]<br />1966
File:Cellucci paul.jpg|[[Paul Cellucci]]<br />[[Governor of Massachusetts]]<br />[[U.S. Ambassador to Canada]]<br />1970, J.D.&nbsp;1973
File:Dannel Malloy 2016.jpg|[[Dannel P. Malloy]]<br />[[Governor of Connecticut]]<br />1977, J.D.&nbsp;1980
File:Mmheckler.JPG|[[Margaret Heckler]]<br />[[U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services]]<br />[[U.S. Representative]]<br />[[U.S. Ambassador to Ireland]]<br />LL.B 1956
File:Marty Walsh.jpg|[[Marty Walsh]]<br /> [[U.S. Secretary of Labor]]<br /> [[Mayor of Boston]]<br />2009
File:Joeseph E. Brennan.jpg|[[Joseph E. Brennan]]<br />70th [[Governor of Maine]]<br />1958
File:Ambassador Scott Brown.jpg|[[Scott Brown (politician)|Scott Brown]]<br />Former [[United States Senator]] for [[Massachusetts]]<br />J.D. 1985
File:Edward Markey, official portrait, 114th Congress.jpg|[[Ed Markey]]<br />[[United States Senator]] from [[Massachusetts]]<br /> 1968, J.D. 1972
File:Leonard Nimoy by Gage Skidmore.jpg|[[Leonard Nimoy]]<br />Actor<br />1952
File:EdMcMahon05.jpg|[[Ed McMahon]]<br />Comedian and television presenter<br />''(Did not graduate)''
File:Amy Poehler (8894155873) (cropped).jpg|[[Amy Poehler]]<br />Actress and comedian<br />1993
File:Chris ODonnell Max Payne 2008.jpg|[[Chris O'Donnell]]<br />Actor<br />1992
File:Elisabeth Hasselbeck in Donna Karan, 2010.jpg|[[Elisabeth Hasselbeck]]<br />Television personality and talk show host<br />1999
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Hopkins House (Boston College)]]
* [[List of Jesuit sites]]
* [[List of presidents of Boston College]]
{{clear right}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://bceagles.com Boston College Athletics website]

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