Why Boston College?

Class profile

US News rank

#20

Median GPA

3.83

25th–75th: 3.67–3.90

Median LSAT

166

25th–75th: 162–167

Acceptance rate

10.2%

Class size (FT 1L)

212

Transfers admitted (2025)

4

ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

Actual GPAs of students Boston College admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.

25th percentile

—

Suppressed (small cohort)

Median

—

50th percentile

75th percentile

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Suppressed (small cohort)

6 1Ls transferred out of Boston College in the same cycle — context for how portable Boston College's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

1. 1Massachusetts
2. 2New York
3. 3Washington, DC

Where the most recent graduating class concentrated employment, per the school's ABA 509 employment summary. Use this as a signal of where the alumni network and OCI recruiting pipeline are strongest.

Signature clinics

Clinical programs that define Boston College's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Boston College" essay where they align with your interests.

• Civil Litigation Clinic: Housing Justice
  Assists low-income clients with a variety of housing matters.
• Community Enterprise Clinic
  Offers free legal help to startup businesses, both for-profit and nonprofit.
• Defenders Clinic
  Provides students with opportunities to gain valuable practice experience on the defense side of criminal justice.
• Immigration Clinic
  Offers legal services to clients in various immigration matters.
• Federal Court Clinic
  Provides free limited legal assistance to individuals representing themselves in civil lawsuits in federal court in Massachusetts.
• Compassionate Release & Parole Clinic
  Focuses on advocating for clients seeking compassionate release or parole.

Notable journals

Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.

• Boston College Law Review— General legal scholarship, including environmental, international, and social justice law.
• U.C.C. Reporter-Digest— Comprehensive tool for practitioners to research case law on various commercial topics, including contract disputes, torts, and bankruptcy.

Faculty highlights

Well-known faculty grouped by primary specialty. If a professor's scholarship aligns with your interests, name them in your essay and reference a specific paper or course.

• Thomas W. Mitchell
  Property Law, Community Development, Legal Reform
• Lisa T. Alexander
  Property Law, Public Law Reform, Housing Markets
• Jenna M. Cobb
  Criminal Justice, Public Defense
• Alfred Yen
  Torts, Sports Law, Intellectual Property
• Vlad Perju
  European Union Law, Jurisprudence, Constitutional Democracy
• Mark Brodin
  Civil Procedure, Evidence
• Kent Greenfield
  Constitutional Law, Corporate Law
• Natalya Shnitser
  Corporations, Fiduciary Obligations, Regulation
• Daniel Kanstroom
  Immigration Law, Human Rights
• Patricia McCoy
  Insurance Law, Consumer Protection

What makes Boston College distinctive

Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.

• ·Strong emphasis on integrating theory and practice through its Center for Experiential Learning, which houses numerous clinics and externship opportunities.
• ·The Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy provides educational programs, career mentoring, and financial support for students interested in government and public policy.
• ·A Jesuit, Catholic heritage that fosters a commitment to social justice and ethical leadership.
• ·Offers a 1L experiential-based elective in the spring semester, providing early exposure to practical skills.
• ·The Initiative on Land and Housing Rights, directed by Professor Thomas W. Mitchell, focuses on tackling injustices in property law.

Frequently asked about Boston College

Schools similar to Boston College

Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.