BC vs. Penn

Deciding between Boston College and University of Pennsylvania? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Boston College
University of Pennsylvania

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • BC Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Penn Philadelphia, PA
  • Setting
  • BC Small City
  • Penn Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • BC 15,432
  • Penn 29,109
  • Type
  • BC Private 4 Year
  • Penn Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • BC #34
  • Penn #23
  • Religious Affiliation
  • BC Roman Catholic
  • Penn -
  • Status
  • BC Non-profit
  • Penn Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • BC
  • Penn

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • BC $70,702
  • Penn $68,686
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • BC $70,702
  • Penn $68,686
  • Room & Board
  • BC $18,916
  • Penn $19,174
  • Average Net Price
  • BC $32,519
  • Penn $23,570
  • Average Grant Aid
  • BC $56,971
  • Penn $65,458
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • BC 40%
  • Penn 51%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • BC 35,037
  • Penn 65,226
  • Admitted
  • BC 5,755
  • Penn 3,523
  • Acceptance Rate
  • BC 16.4%
  • Penn 5.4%
  • Enrolled
  • BC 43.5%
  • Penn 68%
  • Typical SAT score
  • BC 1490
  • Penn 1540
  • Typical ACT score
  • BC 34
  • Penn 35
  • Average High School GPA
  • BC 3.86
  • Penn 3.95
  • Typical High School Grades
  • BC A
  • Penn A
  • Admissions Standards
  • BC Elite
  • Penn Elite
  • Applicant Competition
  • BC Very High
  • Penn Extreme
  • ACT Range
  • BC 33/35
  • Penn 34/36
  • SAT Range
  • BC 1440/1540
  • Penn 1510/1570
  • Submit Test Scores
  • BC Test optional
  • Penn Required
  • Application Deadline
  • BC Jan 1, 2027
  • Penn Jan 5, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • BC 10:1
  • Penn 8:1
  • Popular Majors
  • BC
    • Business (24%)
    • Social Sciences (17%)
    • Communication (9%)
    • Psychology (9%)
    • English and Literature (7%)
  • Penn
    • Business (26%)
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Biology (8%)
    • Engineering (7%)
    • Health Professions (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • BC 91%
  • Penn 96%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • BC $90,900
  • Penn $123,600
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • BC 90%
  • Penn 84%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • BC $19,000
  • Penn $20,633
  • Median Loan Payment
  • BC $196
  • Penn $213

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • BC 46%
  • Penn 44%
  • % Women
  • BC 54%
  • Penn 56%
  • Racial Diversity
  • BC Medium
  • Penn Very High
  • HBCU
  • BC No
  • Penn No
  • % White
  • BC 62%
  • Penn 45%
  • % Asian
  • BC 10%
  • Penn 19%
  • % Black
  • BC 4%
  • Penn 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • BC 10%
  • Penn 10%
  • % Native American
  • BC 0%
  • Penn 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • BC 0%
  • Penn 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • BC 3%
  • Penn 4%
  • % International
  • BC 6%
  • Penn 11%
  • % Unknown Race
  • BC 6%
  • Penn 3%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • BC 23%
  • Penn 15%
  • % Out-of-State
  • BC 69%
  • Penn 70%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • BC Yes
  • Penn Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • BC No
  • Penn Yes
  • Meal Plan
  • BC Yes
  • Penn Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • BC No
  • Penn Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • BC Yes
  • Penn Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA with University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Pennsylvania is larger than BC based on total student enrollment (29,109 students vs. 15,432 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, MA (Small City setting); University of Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia, PA (Large City setting).
  • Boston College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Pennsylvania is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Boston College 10:1; University of Pennsylvania 8:1.

BC vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or Penn? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Pennsylvania than BC ($23,570 vs. $32,519).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Boston College are 1.3% lower than at University of Pennsylvania ($18,916 vs. $19,174).
  • Boston College is 2.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn (about $2,016 more per year; $70,702.00 vs. $68,686.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.9% higher at BC than at University of Pennsylvania (about $2,016 more per year; $70,702.00 vs. $68,686.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Pennsylvania than at Boston College (51% vs. 40%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Pennsylvania students is 14.9% larger than aid received by Boston College students ($65,458 vs. $56,971).

BC vs. Penn Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, BC or Penn? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn and BC.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at University of Pennsylvania (1540) is 50 points higher than at BC (1490).
  • Incoming Penn students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (35 vs. 34 at BC).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston College 1440/1540; University of Pennsylvania 1510/1570.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Boston College 33/35; University of Pennsylvania 34/36.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: BC - Test optional; Penn - Required.
  • Typical fall application deadline: BC Jan 1, 2027; Penn Jan 5, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at BC (3.86).
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (16.4%) than Penn (5.4%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 43.5% at BC vs. 68% at Penn.

BC vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for BC and Penn? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • University of Pennsylvania's six-year graduation rate (96%) is higher than Boston College's (91%).
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn a median of about $32,700 more per year than BC graduates about ten years after starting college ($123,600 vs. $90,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Boston College graduates have a $1,633 lower median loan debt than Penn graduates ($19,000 vs. $20,633).
  • Among borrowers, BC graduates have an estimated $17 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn graduates ($196 vs. $213).
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 84%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.