The Catholic University of America (CUA) vs Boston College

The Catholic University of America and Boston College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. The Catholic University of America, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., boasts a lower acceptance rate of 68%, while Boston College, situated in the vibrant city of Boston, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 73%. In terms of student body demographics, The Catholic University of America has a larger undergraduate population, with over 3,000 students compared to Boston College's 9,000 undergraduates. Both universities offer a diverse range of popular majors, including Business, Psychology, and Biology, but Boston College additionally excels in the fields of Economics and Political Science. While The Catholic University of America boasts a slightly higher graduation rate of 86%, Boston College is known for its strong alumni network and career support. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the unique characteristics of each university and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic
Boston College logo

Boston College

The Catholic University of America logo

The Catholic University of America

Overview

Location Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Washington, District of Columbia
Campus setting City: Small City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 88.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 19.0% 86.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $75
$60
SAT range 1420 - 1530 N/A
ACT range 33 - 34 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 30.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0%
Total number of applicants 39,846 5,895
Total number of admissions given out 7,587 5,070
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,516 691
Yield rate 33.2% 13.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,606 $74,126
Average net price $30,159 $35,520
Tuition $60,530 $51,040
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,780

Meal plan: $5,822
Room/dormitory: $9,220

Meal plan: $6,800
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $48,693
96.0%
Average amount $31,915
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $3,579
56.0%
Average amount $5,308
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $2,200
9.0%
Average amount $22,405

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,955
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
2,929
Men 44.1% Women 55.9%
Graduate students 5,622
Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
2,130
Men 47.2% Women 52.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 12.4% 8.3%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 7,602 1,985
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 90.8% 73.7%
Dropout rate 2.5% 26.2%
Transferred out 6.4% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,012
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $142,311
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,514
  • Year 2: $115,060
  • Year 3: $137,599
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,055
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,491
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,485
  • Year 2: $93,588
  • Year 3: $114,789
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,426
  • Year 2: $100,439
  • Year 3: $112,343
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,714
  • Year 2: $84,100
  • Year 3: $105,872
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,320
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $94,626
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,748
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $90,750
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,899
  • Year 2: $69,937
  • Year 3: $82,416
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,785
  • Year 2: $69,069
  • Year 3: $77,978
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $100,058
  • Year 2: $100,690
  • Year 3: $108,981
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,312
  • Year 2: $89,092
  • Year 3: $98,232
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,088
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $83,282
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,128
  • Year 2: $64,162
  • Year 3: $80,941
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,938
  • Year 2: $53,984
  • Year 3: $77,885
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,277
  • Year 2: $54,035
  • Year 3: $77,782
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,219
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $77,474
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,927
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $74,919
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $71,180
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,697
  • Year 2: $63,377
  • Year 3: $66,355

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