In the neighborhood of Chestnut Hill that straddles the Boston and Newton city boundary, is Boston College.
Boston College is located mostly between Commonwealth Avenue and Beacon Street, and west of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. There are three campuses. The main campus, Chestnut Hill, is the largest portion of the college with the large bell tower as the main focus. The Brighton Campus is located northeast of this campus, near the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Lake Street, which is where several administrative buildings and St. John's Seminary is located. The third campus, for the Boston College Law School, is located off Centre Street in Newton. Additionally, Boston College also includes the Weston Observatory - an earthquake recording station - in Weston, MA.
A quick tour of the campus is as follows: The waymark is located at the north entrance to Gasson Hall, which is a gothic-styled building that has a large bell tower and clock, which is considered the central landmark of the college. To the north is a grassy area. To the east is the Tip O'Neil Library, which appears to be the newest building on campus. Further east is the Conte Arena, then Alumni Stadium. North of the stadium is a performance center and dorms. Campus maps on the college web site will provide more information about the buildings and locations.
In anywhere but Boston, Boston College would have been the largest school in the area. But, with other colleges like Harvard, MIT, Northeastern and Boston University, BC has to share in being one of the dominent colleges in the area. Here are just some of the figures (from the BC web site):
Total students: 14,600
Total undergrads: 9,100
Total grads: 4,900
Total in Woods College of Advanced Studies: 600
Female to Male Ratio: 52:48
Undergraduate Programs
College of Arts and Sciences
Carroll School of Management
Lynch School of Education
Connell School of Nursing
Woods College of Advancing Studies
Graduate/Professional Programs
Boston College Law School
Graduate School of Social Work
Carroll School of Management
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
School of Theology and Ministry
(NOTE: Graduate programs in education and nursing are also offered through the Lynch School of Education and Connell School of Nursing, respectively)
Most Popular Undergraduate Majors
Communications
Economics
Biology
Finance
Political Science
English
Psychology
History
Nursing
Human Development
Faculty
752 Full-time faculty
Faculty/Student ratio 1:14
98% of faculty hold terminal degrees
Sponsored Research Grants $57.2 million
Campus Properties
Main Campus 130 acres
Newton Campus 40 acres
Brighton Campus 65 acres
Connors Family Retreat & Conference Center, Dover 78.5 acres
Weston Observatory 19 acres
Boston College programs consistently rank in the top 50 on most recognized college rankings.
The web site has this about how BC was founded:
"Boston College was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1863 and, with 3 teachers and 22 students, opened its doors on September 5, 1864. Through its first seven decades, it remained a small undergraduate institution, serving the sons of the Irish working class, and teaching theology and philosophy, Greek and Latin classics, and English and modern languages."
BC started on Harrison Avenue in Boston, then moved to the old Lawrence Farm, the present Chestnut Hill campus, in 1909. The oldest of the buildings, Gasson Hall, was finished in 1913. The college, which is really a university, grew steadily, adding buildings and programs, and attracting more students. In 1974, BC acquired land from the Newton College of the Sacred Heart in Newton, which is now the Boston College Law School. In 2004, they acquired property from the Boston Archdiocese in Brighton. It is now the School of Theology and Ministry, which was established in 2008 after the Jesuit school in Weston reaffiliated with BC.
Boston College is well known for its athletic program, competing in several sports including football, baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, sailing, skiing, soccer, swimming, and track and field. The teams are known as the Eagles. The football team has made several trips to college bowls especially with their most famous quarterback, Doug Flutie. However, many students of BC went on to successful athletic careers. See the web page for the hall of fame for a list of inductees - you might recognize a few. Alumni Stadium the home field for the football team, and the Conte Arena, home to the basketball and hockey teams is located on the campus.
The web site for the athletic program is: (
visit link)