Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit Catholic research university founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of downtown Boston. It has 9,100 full-time undergraduates and almost 5,000 graduate students. The university's name reflects its early history as a liberal arts college and preparatory school (now Boston College High School) in Boston's South End. It is a member of the 568 Group and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Its main campus is a historic district and features some of the earliest examples of collegiate gothic architecture in North America.

Boston College's undergraduate program is currently ranked 31st in the National Universities ranking by U.S. News & World Report. Boston College is categorized as a research university with high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Students at the university earned 21 Fulbright Awards in 2012, ranking the school eighth among American research institutions. At $1.809 billion, Boston College has the 41st largest university endowment in North America, and the largest endowment of all Jesuit colleges and universities.

Boston College offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees through its nine schools and colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, Boston College Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Carroll School of Management, Lynch School of Education, Connell School of Nursing, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Boston College Law School, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Woods College of Advancing Studies.

Boston College sports teams are called the Eagles, and their colors are maroon and gold; the school mascot is Baldwin the Eagle. The Eagles compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference in all sports offered by the ACC. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. Boston College's men's ice hockey team is one of the most decorated programs in the nation, having won five national championships.

Each year the University confers more than 4,000 degrees in more than 50 fields of study through eight schools and colleges. Faculty members are committed to both teaching and research and have been honored by Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Education and the MacArthur Foundation. Boston College is ranked 31st among national universities by U.S. News & World Report.

Boston College students have earned more than 200 prestigious academic scholarships over the past decade, including Rhodes Scholarships, Marshalls, Goldwaters and Fulbright grants. Each year, undergraduates devote some 550,000 hours to community service.