Boston College vs Temple - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
These are two different admissions games: Boston College admits 16.2% of applications, Temple admits 80.5%.
Average aid for an international student is $39,634 (Boston College) and $16,607 (Temple).
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Boston College starts at $94,048 against $58,550 and ends at $32,295 against $40,717 (Temple).
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Boston College: $104K against $64K.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
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
Boston College is the more selective of the two (16.19% vs 80.45% acceptance). Temple ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#501-600 vs #401-500). Boston College graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $64K). Temple has lower sticker-price tuition ($40,144 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 selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
Choose Temple for: a higher world ranking, lower tuition.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Boston College is more selective (16.19% vs 80.45% acceptance); Boston College has a higher median SAT (1500 vs 1250).
Boston College graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($104K vs $64K); Boston College has a higher 6-year graduation rate (90.8% vs 75%).
Temple has lower sticker-price tuition ($40,144 vs $73,508); Boston College offers a larger average aid package ($61,753 vs $17,833).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Boston College | Temple |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #501-600 | #401-500 |
| Rank · THE | - | - |
| Acceptance rate | 16.19% | 80.45% |
| Yield rate | 42.5% | 15% |
| Median SAT | 1500 | 1250 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.42 |
| Number of applications | 34,779 | 40,817 |
| International students | 6.6% | 4.4% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $104K | $64K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $68K | $41K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $162K | $92K |
| Graduation rate | 90.8% | 75% |
| Retention rate | 96% | 83% |
| Median debt | $19,000 | $24,395 |
| Tuition · year | $73,508 | $40,144 |
| Avg. aid package | $61,753 | $17,833 |
| % of need met | 100% | 60.5% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $24,892 | $41,808 |
| Application fee | - | $55 |
| Enrollment | 14,726 | 29,637 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Boston College or Temple?
It's harder to get into Boston College. Boston College accepts 16.19% of applicants, while Temple accepts 80.45%.
Do Boston College or Temple graduates earn more?
Boston College graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $104K vs $64K.
How much is tuition at Boston College vs Temple?
Sticker-price tuition is $73,508 per year at Boston College and $40,144 per year at Temple.
What SAT score do you need for Boston College or Temple?
The median admitted SAT score is 1500 at Boston College and 1250 at Temple; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Boston College or Temple?
Temple ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #501-600 for Boston College vs #401-500 for Temple.
Which university offers more financial aid - Boston College or Temple?
The average aid package is $61,753 at Boston College and $17,833 at Temple.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern