Undergraduate tuition at Boston College for the 2017-18 academic year has been set at $52,500, the Board of Trustees announced, part of a 3.6 percent overall rise in tuition, fees, and room and board for next year. Total cost of attendance will be $67,488.
The Board also voted to increase undergraduate financial aid 5.8 percent, to $120.5 million. Cost of attendance has risen from $62,820 in the 2014-15 school year to $65,114 for this school year, and the 3.6 percent increase is routine over at least the last several years. Financial aid has also increased at similar rates—4.1 percent for this year, and 5.9 percent for the 2014-15 school year.
BC Law School tuition will be $52,640, and the Carroll School of Management’s full-time MBA program will cost $49,230.
Combined tuition, fees, and room and board at private, four-year institutions increased by 3.6 percent for the 2016-17 school year, according to the College Board. The College Board’s “Trends in College Pricing 2016” analysis reported that from the 2006-07 school year to the 2016-17 school year, private, four-year institutions increased cost of attendance by an average of 2.4 percent more than inflation every year.
More than 66 percent of BC undergraduates receive financial aid, according to a press release, and the average need-based financial aid package for 2017-18 is projected to be over $43,000.
“We recognize that the high cost of higher education is a significant challenge, and we work tirelessly to ensure that resources are leveraged to enhance academic programs even as we work to operate as efficiently as we can,” Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley said in the press release. “Our commitment to need-blind admissions and to meeting the full demonstrated need of all students sets us apart from many of our competitors.”
BC is one of 19 private universities in the United States that is need-blind in admissions and meets the full demonstrated need of all admitted students. It is ranked No. 41 in the “Best Value Schools” category by U.S. News & World Report and No. 19 in a Kiplinger’s Personal Finance “Best Values” list.
“Each year, the administration devotes significant energy to producing a budget that balances growth in student-generated revenues, like tuition and fees, with growth in expenses that support and strengthen the unique student educational and formative experiences at Boston College,” Executive Vice President Michael Lochhead said in the press release.
