Boston College Class of 2028 composition reflects national trends in higher ed
Boston College experienced level enrollment of traditionally underrepresented students in the Class of 2028, with a slight decrease in the number of Black students and a slight increase in the number of Asian American and Hispanic students over last year, according to preliminary data released today by the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
Specifically, the percentage of Black students in the first-year class fell from 7 percent to 6 percent, while the percentage of Hispanic students rose from 13 to 14.4 percent. Asian American enrollment increased to 16.2 percent from 14.6 percent last year.
The University’s mixed enrollment results were consistent with many highly selective colleges and universities in the wake of the 2023 United States Supreme Court ruling that ended the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions decisions.
Overall, the Class of 2028 is one of the strongest academically in University history, with 90 percent of students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class and average SAT/ACT scores of 1484 and 34, respectively. This year, Boston College admitted just 15.9 percent of its 35,487 applicants and yielded a total of 43 percent—a testament to the University’s popularity among the nation’s best high school students.Â
BC’s relative stability in maintaining a diverse class was due in part to the Office of Undergraduate Admission’s decades-long efforts to build strong relationships with community-based organizations and urban schools nationwide, and the University’s popularity among QuestBridge Scholars—a pool of high-achieving, low-income high school students who are matched with 52 of the nation’s best colleges and universities. Boston College placed second in the nation among QuestBridge College Partners in the number of National College Match students enrolled.
In addition, Boston College’s increased focus on socioeconomic factors in admission helped it to attract a class composed of 14 percent first-generation students, an increase of 23 percent from last year. Its percentage of Pell-eligible students (individuals with the highest level of financial need) rose by 50 percent to an all-time high of 18.8 percent, reflecting the University’s continued commitment to meeting the full demonstrated need of all accepted students. This year, Boston College will award $177 million in need-based financial aid to undergraduates, with more than 66 percent of BC students receiving financial aid.
“Given our distinctive mission and foundational values as a Jesuit, Catholic university, our commitment to enrolling a diverse class of students is unwavering,” said Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley. “All of us working with the Class of 2028 recognize the excellence of this cohort of students, and our colleagues in Admission and Financial Aid deserve credit for remarkable work in the face of significant headwinds.”
“In response to the 2023 Students for Fair Admissions ruling, our office reviewed applications and made decisions in a race-blind environment while enhancing our focus on race-neutral factors that align with Boston College’s mission,” said Dean of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid Grant Gosselin. “Expanding our commitment to ensuring a wider range of socioeconomic representation among our student body was critical to our work.”
In total, the 2,394 first-year students come from 48 states and 55 countries. Eight percent of the class are international students.
“Boston College was able to achieve broad representation within the Class of 2028 because of the University’s reputation for academic excellence and its commitment to need-blind admissions and meeting the full demonstrated need of all accepted students,” said Gosselin.
“Enhancing need-based financial aid is a major priority of BC’s $3 billion Soaring Higher campaign, with the goal of raising $1.1 billion to support this crucial initiative. The results of this class demonstrate that the need for continued investment in financial aid has never been greater.”