Boston College, a leading Jesuit research university in America, has evolved into a highly competitive academic powerhouse. The institution’s selectivity is evident in its admissions process, which often sees applicants with near-perfect grades and test scores being turned away. Though the data for Boston College’s Class of 2030 is not yet available, the Boston College Class of 2029 had an acceptance rate of 14%, a record low in the university’s history. For the BC Class of 2028,  90% of students who enrolled graduated in the top tenth of their high school’s graduating class. However, Boston College’s appeal goes beyond just top grades and scores as the admissions officers at this Catholic university look for a holistic view of each applicant.

That said, what kind of GPA does a student need when applying to Boston College? Let’s take a close look at the data over three past admissions cycles.

How Difficult Is It To Get Into Boston College?

First, just how difficult is it to get into Boston College? The Class of 2029’s acceptance rate of 14% isn’t necessarily on par with the likes of Ivy League schools, but it’s not too shabby. The year prior, for the Class of 2028, this number was 14.7%. For the Class of 2027, 15.1% of all those who applied received good news from Boston College in their inboxes.

What is a Good GPA for Getting into Boston College?

GPA Percentage of Boston College’s Class of 2028

The following is the class rank breakdown of BC’s Class of 2028 members, as reported in BC’s 2024-25 Common Data Set. Unfortunately, BC’s data sets for the Classes of 2030 and 2029 are not yet reported, and they failed to report their GPA data for the Class of 2028 or any other recently admitted cohorts. In lieu of that, the class rank data below is the closest to gauging the GPA requirements for admission in BC’s competitive admissions process.

Assessment	Percent
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class	90%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class	96.9%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class	99.1%
Percent in bottom half of high school graduating class	0.9%
Percent in bottom quarter of high school graduating class	0.2%
Percent of total first-time, first-year (freshman) students who submitted high school class rank:	26.6%

GPA Percentage of Boston College’s Class of 2027

Let’s move right along to the Class of 2027! The following is the class rank breakdown of the members of Boston College’s Class of 2027:

Assessment	Percent
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class	89.42%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class	96.8%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class	99.4%
Percent in bottom half of high school graduating class	0.6%
Percent in bottom quarter of high school graduating class	0%
Percent of total first-time, first-year (freshman) students who submitted high school class rank:	28%

GPA Percentage of Boston College’s Class of 2026

The following is the class rank breakdown of BC’s Class of 2026 members, as reported in BC’s 2022-23 Common Data Set.

Assessment	Percent
Percent in top tenth of high school graduating class	90%
Percent in top quarter of high school graduating class	98%
Percent in top half of high school graduating class	99%
Percent in bottom half of high school graduating class	1%
Percent in bottom quarter of high school graduating class	0%
Percent of total first-time, first-year (freshman) students who submitted high school class rank:	30%

Further Context on GPAs of BC Students

While we await the official data, it’s safe to assume that most of those who secure a spot at BC for the Class of 2030 will boast impressive academic records, often with 4.0 GPAs. This is in line with the rigorous standards of other top-tier institutions. We at Ivy Coach would confidently speculate that all BC admits to the Class of 2030 will boast a GPA over 2.5, with 90% or so exceeding 3.5.

However, BC routinely rejects applicants with perfect grades, so we refuse to give a definitive answer to parents who are quick to share their child’s GPA during complimentary consultations with Ivy Coach and want to know if they can get into BC. Without context — including the high school attended, the rigor of the student’s coursework, their extracurriculars, essays, letters of recommendation, and so much more — your child’s GPA is only one small piece of the puzzle. 

BC considers several holistic criteria when deliberating between students (not least of all an appreciation of BC’s Jesuit principles) because there are plenty of dull students out there with perfect grades!

Can You Get into Boston College with a Low GPA?

Let’s back up for a second. While it may seem improbable, it is indeed possible to gain admission to Boston College with a less-than-stellar GPA. It’s important to remember that many students accepted without exceptional grades have other qualities that sway the admissions officers in their favor. Boston College is known to consider institutional needs, such as a star athlete or a student with parents who are major donors, when evaluating applications.

How Ivy Coach Can Gauge Your Child’s Chances at Boston College

If you want to optimize your child’s odds of getting into Boston College, we recommend setting up Ivy Coach’s Strategy Session. Not only will you find out if your child can get into Boston College, but you’ll come away with a game plan of how your child can optimize their admission to the best school within reach. To learn more about Ivy Coach’s Strategy Session, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll contact you.