Founded by the Society of Jesus in part because immigrants and Catholics were being denied admission to Harvard University in the nineteenth century, Boston College later earned the nickname "Jesuit Ivy" in a speech by John F. Kennedy. Its founding charter was among the first documents to stipulate that the institution be open to "youths of any faith."

Boston College students come from 50 states and 99 countries. It received more than 24,000 applications for approximately 2,100 seats in the freshman Class of 2005.

At $1.2 billion, BC's endowment is among the nation's 40 largest, and the largest of any Jesuit university.

The Boston College Administration currently finds itself in the midst of a controvery surrounding the exclusion of sexual orienation in the Unversity's notice of non-discrimination. A student referendum showed 84% in favor of including sexual orientation in the notice of non-discrimination and a list of nearly 200 faculty and Jesuits in support of its inclusion was published in the school newspaper the day of the vote. The university administration under President Fr. William P Leahy maintains its right to discriminate on basis of sexual orienatation by referencing Massachusetts state law which exepmts religious institutions from including sexual orientation in a notice of non-discrimination. Students and faculty in support of its inclusion note that other Catholic and Jesuit universities in the state, such as Weston and Holy Cross, do include sexual orientation in their notices of non-discrimination.

The 150 Jesuits living on the Boston College campus make up the largest Jesuit community in the world. About half are actively involved in the University's faculty and administration. Others include graduate students and visiting scholars.

In 2004, 2 BC students won Rhodes scholarships and BC produced 11 Fulbright Scholars, ranking 16th among national universities. BC ranked 9th among Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and 1st among Jesuit Volunteer Corps producing colleges. It ranked 37th in US News and World Report.

Boston College is called The Heights, a reference to both its lofty aspirations--the college motto is "Ever to Excel"--and its location on Chestnut Hill, or "University Heights" as the area was initially designated. The name has lent itself to a number of campus organizations including the principle student newspaper, The Heights . BC students were universally called "Heightsmen" until 1925 when Mary C. Mellyn became the first "Heightswoman" to receive a BC degree. Today, Heightsmen and Heightswomen number over 140,000 and make up one of the largest alumni networks in the world.

The BC campus itself is also refered to as the "Crowned Hilltop" and "Oxford in America." This latter moniker was coined by the university's first architect, Charles Maginnis, and confirmed by a visiting British journalist in 1915 who wrote, "Even in embryo, it is Oxford and Cambridge without their grime." In June of 2004, Boston College acquired 43 acres (174,000 m²) of land from the Archdiocese of Boston, including the historic Cardinal's Residence.

Boston College is comprised of eight schools and colleges:

• The College of Arts and Sciences
• The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
• The Carroll School of Management
• The Lynch School of Education
• The Connell School of Nursing
• The Graduate School of Social Work
• Boston College Law School
• Woods College of Advancing Studies

In December of 2004, Boston College announced plans to create a Divinity School by merging its existing Theology department, its Institute for Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The new school would be located on the BC campus on land recently acquired from the Boston archdiocese.