Boston College
CHESTNUT HILL, MA
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CHAPEL HILL, NC
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Boston College vs North Carolina - US university comparison

Boston College
BOSTON COLLEGE
Chestnut Hill, MA
World rank · ARWU#501-600
Acceptance16.19%
Median SAT1500
Graduation rate90.8%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$104K
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NORTH CAROLINA
Chapel Hill, NC
World rank · ARWU#35
Acceptance15.34%
Median SAT1470
Graduation rate91.2%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$72K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

Boston College University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
#501-600 World rank · ARWU #35
- Rank · THE #70
16.19% Acceptance rate 15.34%
1500 Median SAT 1470
90.8% Graduation rate 91.2%
14,726 Enrollment 32,680

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

16.19% Acceptance rate 15.34%
42.5% Yield rate 45.5%
1500 Median SAT 1470
- Avg. GPA 4.49
34,779 Number of applications 66,535
6.6% Int'l students 6.4%
$104K Median earnings · 10 yrs $72K
$68K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $48K
$162K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $112K
90.8% Graduation rate 91.2%
96% Retention rate 96.6%
$19,000 Median debt $14,000
$73,508 Tuition · year $45,228
$61,753 Avg. aid package $20,705
100% % of need met 100%
$24,892 Avg. graduate debt $20,382
- Application fee $85
$39,634 Avg. int'l aid -
At a glance
North Carolina leads in 7 of 11 measured metrics
Aid$61,753 vs $20,705
Tuition$73,508 vs $45,228
Earnings$104K vs $72K

The verdict, from the data

If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Boston College reports aid for international students ($39,634 on average), North Carolina does not.

The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Boston College starts at $94,048 against $60,888 and ends at $32,295 against $40,183 (North Carolina).

The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Boston College: $104K against $72K.

30 points separate the SAT profiles: 1500 (Boston College) against 1470.

These numbers describe the cohorts already enrolled, not your chances; treat them as a starting point rather than a forecast.

Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.

EXPERT TAKE

North Carolina is the more selective of the two (15.34% vs 16.19% acceptance). North Carolina ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#501-600 vs #35). Boston College graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $72K). North Carolina has lower sticker-price tuition ($45,228 vs $73,508 per year).

Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.

Choose Boston College for: higher graduate earnings, a larger aid package.

Choose North Carolina for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate.

College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

North Carolina is more selective (15.34% vs 16.19% acceptance); Boston College has a higher median SAT (1500 vs 1470).

Graduate outcomes

Boston College graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $72K); North Carolina has a higher 6-year graduation rate (91.2% vs 90.8%).

Cost and aid

North Carolina has lower sticker-price tuition ($45,228 vs $73,508); Boston College offers a larger average aid package ($61,753 vs $20,705).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

$35k$76k$117k$158k$11k$35k$59k$83kBoston CollegeNorth Carolina TUITION · YEAR → MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10 YRS →
Each dot is a comparable US university; Boston College and North Carolina highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Boston College North Carolina
World rank · ARWU#501-600#35
Rank · THE-#70
Acceptance rate16.19%15.34%
Yield rate42.5%45.5%
Median SAT15001470
Avg. GPA-4.49
Number of applications34,77966,535
International students6.6%6.4%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$104K$72K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$68K$48K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$162K$112K
Graduation rate90.8%91.2%
Retention rate96%96.6%
Median debt$19,000$14,000
Tuition · year$73,508$45,228
Avg. aid package$61,753$20,705
% of need met100%100%
Avg. graduate debt$24,892$20,382
Application fee-$85
Enrollment14,72632,680

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Boston College or North Carolina?

It's harder to get into North Carolina. Boston College accepts 16.19% of applicants, while North Carolina accepts 15.34%.

Do Boston College or North Carolina graduates earn more?

Boston College graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $104K vs $72K.

How much is tuition at Boston College vs North Carolina?

Sticker-price tuition is $73,508 per year at Boston College and $45,228 per year at North Carolina.

What SAT score do you need for Boston College or North Carolina?

The median admitted SAT score is 1500 at Boston College and 1470 at North Carolina; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Boston College or North Carolina?

North Carolina ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #501-600 for Boston College vs #35 for North Carolina.

Which university offers more financial aid - Boston College or North Carolina?

The average aid package is $61,753 at Boston College and $20,705 at North Carolina.

Compare Boston College with
Harvard Stanford Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton Yale Cornell Penn Johns Hopkins Washington University Northwestern
Highest-ranked in ARWU. Click "↻ Change university" in the cards above to choose from all 47 universities (+35).
All metrics come 100% from College Council Atlas (canonical) - admissions, SAT, GPA, graduate outcomes, financial aid and costs from IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25; rankings from ARWU 2024 and THE 2025. Zero manual fields. "-" = not yet in canonical.