Graduate and Law Cost of Attendance
The cost of attendance (COA) provides an estimate of the costs associated with attending Boston College.
Cost of Attendance Information
There are two main categories of costs used when creating the cost of attendance: direct and indirect costs.
Direct (Billed) Costs
The cost of attendance includes costs that will appear on your bill—tuition, and fees. When trying to determine financial responsibilities to Boston College each year, the direct costs are what will appear on your billing statement.
Your first bill for the academic year will likely include a charge for health insurance. Massachusetts law requires that every full-time and part-time student enrolled in a certificate, diploma or degree-granting program of higher education must participate in their school's Student Health Program or in a health benefit plan with comparable coverage. Students that have comparable coverage are able to waive the Boston College health plan by specific deadlines. For additional information on BC's health insurance plan and directions and deadlines to waive the insurance please visit bc.edu/medicalinsurance. The cost for the BC medical insurance for the 24–25 year is $4,281.
Direct Costs for Graduate Students*
| Cost Type | Total |
|---|---|
| Tuition | See the cost of attendance tab for the list of tuition rates for each school. Most Graduate Programs are charged per credit. Example: 12 Credits x $2,100 = $25,200 |
| Fees* | Graduate Activity Fee: $116 for students taking 7 or more crefits $80 for students taking 6 or less credits |
*Fees are charged each semester. All other costs are divided across two semesters.
Indirect (Non-billed) Costs
The cost of attendance also includes costs that will not appear on your bill. Items included in this category are estimates for books, travel, and miscellaneous/personal expenses. For students that live off campus, an estimate for your housing and food costs will be included in your cost of attendance, and are considered indirect costs because you will not be billed by BC for those costs.
Boston College Indirect Costs
| Cost Type | Total for 25–26 |
|---|---|
| Books and Supplies | $1,300 |
| Misc./Personal Expenses | $2,651 |
| Housing and Food | $21,275 |
| Transportation | $1,800 |
| Loan Fees* | $210 |
*Loan fees will also be added when a student receives a federal or graduate PLUS loan.
Your cost of attendance will not match your bill because it includes indirect costs that are not billed by Boston College. Students must plan ahead and be prepared to pay for books and/or off-campus living expenses until the funds have been disbursed.
2025–2026 Tuition for Master's or Doctoral Degree, per Credit
| Boston College School of Social Work | $1,436 |
| Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Graduate Programs | $1,834 |
| Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Executive Education in Higher Ed | $2,008 |
| Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Catholic Higher Ed | $1,606 |
| Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Catholic Leadership | $1,370 |
| Connell School of Nursing, Graduate Programs | $1,876 |
| Clough School of Theology and Ministry | $1,370 |
| Graduate School of the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences | $2,162 |
| Carroll School of Management, Graduate Programs | $2,306 |
| Carroll School of Management Full-Time MBA Program | $33,840/per semester |
| Boston College Law School | $36,190/per semester |
| Law School Cybersecurity | $2,150 |
| Law School Juridicial Science | $3,016 |
| Woods College of Advancing Studies, Graduate Administrative Studies or Leadership and Administration | $1,168 |
| Woods College of Advancing Studies, Graduate Applied Economics, Sports Administration, and Cybersecurity Policy and Governance | $1,490 |
| Woods College of Advancing Studies, Graduate Healthcare Administration | $1,510 |
| Initial Boston College ID Card For Entering Students Fee: | $50 |
| Law School Activity Fee | $325 |
| Graduate Activity Fee (except Law and CGSOM) fewer than 7 credits | $40/per semester |
| Graduate Activity Fee (except Law and CGSOM) 7 or more credits | $60/per semester |
| Graduate Activity Fee (CGSOM) fewer than 7 credits | $40/per semester |
| Graduate Activity Fee (CGSOM) 7 or more credits | $71/per semester |
| College Of Advancing Studies Registration Fee | $25/per semester |
2025–2026 Academic Year Living Expenses (Nine Months)
| Housing | $15,640 |
| Food | $5,635 |
| Transportation | $1,800 |
| Personal expenses | $2,651 |
| Books and supplies | $1,300 |
| Federal Direct Loan fees | $210 |
| Total living expenses | $27,236 |
2025–2026 Students Borrowing Summer, Fall, and Spring Loans
All students have an academic year for awarding loans. If you are enrolled in the summer and plan on taking out Federal Direct Loans, then your academic year may begin in the summer and continue through the fall. Spring will be a separate period. If you are applying for an alternative loan or Graduate PLUS Loan, make sure your loan period matches the loan period for your unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan.
| Housing, Food, and other Expenses | Monthly | Summer (3 Months) | Fall (4 Months) | Spring (5 Months) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,737 | $5,211 | $6,948 | $8,685 |
| Food | $626* | $1,878 | $2,504 | $3,130 |
| Transportation | $200 | $600 | $800 | $1,000 |
| Personal expenses | $294* | $884 | $1,178 | $1,473 |
| Federal Direct Loan fees | $105** | $105 | $105 | $105 |
| Books | $650 | $650 | $650 | $650 |
| *The monthly number is based on the academic year number and divided by 9. | **Loan fee is per semester. | |||
| Total | $9,328 | $12,185 | $15,043 |
Dependent Care Expenses
Applicants with dependents should contact their financial aid counselor for information regarding childcare costs. Additional financial aid may be available in the form of a student loan.
The Cost of Attendance (COA) increase appeal process allows the Boston College Graduate and Law Financial Aid team to review additional educational expenses incurred during your enrolled academic period. In order to appeal, students must have received aid up to their cost of attendance, and your expenses must exceed the housing allowances listed on our Cost of Attendance page.
Increases to COA are limited and are based on federal regulations. These expenses may include:
- Rent, if it is above the amount included in the housing expenses portion of the cost of attendance
- One-time computer purchase (maximum $2,000)
- Dependent care expenses for dependents under the age of 16 (Note: please speak with your financial aid counselor first)
- Other expenses as listed on the appeal request form.
All requests must include supporting documentation for each expense. If you list expenses without any supporting documentation, the request will not be considered, and it will be automatically denied. The request must be reasonable.
Note: the Graduate and Law Financial Aid Office may limit the amount of a student’s increase for any reason. If it is determined that the cost was not incurred during the current academic enrollment period or if it is not an allowable education-related expense, the request for an increase will be declined.
Cost of Attendance Increase Form (PDF)
The following is a list of items that are not allowable expenses:
- Costs incurred outside of the current academic year
- Costs incurred by anyone other than the student
- Outstanding student loan payments
- Automobile purchase or payments
- Credit card payments or other consumer debt payments
- Moving expenses, including security deposits
- Child support and other child care expenses (except for day care)
- Legal fees or fines, including traffic tickets, parking tickets, or bail
- Veterinary costs
- Test preparation fees, or exam fees not related to the current academic program
Receipts for expenses must show:
- The identity of the buyer
- The identity of the vendor
- The amount of the purchase
- The date.
The Graduate Financial Aid team will notify you by email promptly whether or not your request was approved.
If approved, you may apply for additional federal and/or private loans to cover approved expenses. You may visit bc.edu/altloans for more information regarding private educational loans. Approval for an increase in your cost of attendance does not guarantee an approval for an additional loan.
If you have questions or concerns about an appeal, please contact your financial aid counselor in the Office of Student Services.
Cost of Attendance Glossary
To help understand the items included in Boston College’s cost of attendance, we have defined each element:
Tuition is determined each year by the Board of Trustees in April of each year. A full breakdown of tuition costs can be found on the Tuition and Fees page.
The fees indicated are the mandatory required fees for every graduate student enrolled in Graduate, Law, or Professional programs (does not include students in the Woods College of Advancing studies). These fees include the following:
- Student Activity Fee: fee that covers the administration and availability of student based activities, programs, and facilities
Incoming, first year students will also be assessed:
- Student ID fee: provide student ID card
Regardless of housing situation (at home with parents, on campus, off campus), all students will have costs related to living while enrolled in college. Living expenses are broken down between two main categories: Housing and Food.
Housing
Graduate students will have an estimated cost of housing added to their cost of attendance calculation. Please note that the off-campus housing cost is based on the 9-month standard academic calendar. We do not use the same 12-month calendar as required by most leases.
Food
Federal regulations require that the food portion of the cost of attendance allow for the ability for a student to eat three meals per day. Students that live on campus in a dorm with a required meal plan will have an estimated amount allotted for food that corresponds to the federal requirement. The amount used in the cost of attendance is greater than the amount students will be charged on their initial account statement.
Graduate students will need to purchase books as a part of their educational experience. Additionally, students will incur additional expenses from a variety of categories (toiletries, cleaning products, sports passes, etc.). Boston College creates an estimated value using data provided by the College Board.
The transportation allowance covers travel between your residence and school, as well as other related transportation expenses incurred while you are attending school.
Boston College is committed to providing information in a manner that is accessible to all. If you are in need of a printed copy of the material presented on this web page, please contact the Office of Student Services.