Poets&Quants Top Business Schools

Boston College’s Carroll School of Management

Contact our general manager with any questions. Profile updated: December 19, 2019.

Contact Information

Location:
Admissions Office:
617-552-0459

Tuition & Fees In-State: $209,912*

Tuition & Fees Out-of-State: $209,912*

Average Debt: $20,915

International: 7%

Minority: 18%

First generation college students: 8%

When do students declare their majors: Freshman Year

Acceptance Rate: 25%

Acceptance Rate Transfers: 12%

Average SAT: 1,419

Average ACT: 32

HS Class Top Ten: 87%**

*The total cost of the degree over four years for the most recent graduating class inclusive of school fees, room, board, or living expenses.

** HS Class Top Ten is the percent of the student population that graduated high school in the top ten percent of their class.

*** Please note that these statistics are provided for the business school major only whenever possible. If a school does not track these statistics separately, then the university-wide statistics are provided.

The Carroll School of Management at Boston College focuses on providing a business education with a liberal arts approach. And at number nine, the school is the only one to debut in the top ten in this year’s rankings. The school’s impressive entry to the rankings was anchored by a strong alumni survey. The school placed fourth in the alumni experience category of the rankings.

This past fall, Carroll introduced four new minors to non-management students in hopes of building bridges between management and liberal arts.

“We want to broaden rather than narrow the way management students think, and that’s why we favor a liberal arts approach that draws on ideas and insights from multiple disciplines,” Ethan Sullivan, Senior Associate Dean in the undergraduate program of the Carroll School of Management, says.

Other recent innovations include The Schiller Institute for Integrated Sciences, a $25 million research institute that will offer students new opportunities in interdisciplinary programs in computer science, mathematics, management, and engineering.

“The mission of the Schiller Institute will be to create and sustain emerging initiatives in basic and applied science; educate the next generation of science and technology leaders and innovators; develop and deploy new tools and technologies to address important societal problems, and promote partnerships with industry and the public and private sectors,” BC officials say in a press release.

Additionally, the Shea Center for Entrepreneurship is a newly announced cornerstone program in a new state of the art building to be opened in the fall of 2021.

A TRUE LIBERAL ARTS FOCUS

Carroll focuses heavily on giving its students both a business and liberal arts education.

Sullivan says a focus on liberal arts is critical in this age of business.

“Intellectual inquiry, critical thinking, effective communication, cultural competence—these are skills and characteristics required to thrive in the 21st century. And they’re what employers increasingly seek,” he says.

That’s exactly why Carroll puts such an emphasis on giving their business students a liberal arts foundation.

All business students are required to complete a rigorous liberal arts core curriculum of 15 courses in the humanities, social sciences, arts, mathematics, and natural sciences. Additionally, Carroll requires its students to take four liberal arts electives.

Lastly, all first-year students are required to take a course called Portico, a three-credit course that examines business from global, multidisciplinary, ethical, and social perspectives.

Through the course, students examine questions such as: What sort of life do you want to lead? How can you manage others and direct organizations ethically? In what ways will you choose to impact the world? How can business be a force for good in the global world? As a business ethics and philosophy course, Portico lets students develop a greater sense of self-awareness and a clearer understanding of their place in the world.

“Portico offers the unique opportunity to take a great ideas course that studies business as an inherently ethical practice,” Sullivan says.

THE FOUR-YEAR EXPERIENCE

Outside of the liberal arts core and Portico, first-years are also required to take core management courses. By the end of their first year, freshmen students complete a wide array of courses including business statistic (with a lab in coding in R), digital technologies, and a mathcore course such as calculus.

In their second year, students dive deeper into business with courses like accounting, basic finance, modeling for data analytics, economic principles, and an introduction to law. The junior year includes courses like marketing principles, organizational behavior, and operations management. And senior year, students complete their management core with a capstone course in strategic management.

EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Carroll’s proximity to Boston opens doors for students to partake in a number of experiential learning opportunities.

One of those opportunities is “Tech Treks,” a partnership with the Start@Shea group. Through Tech Treks, students visit local start-ups and technology firms to learn more about the industry and connect with professionals.

Kate Adams, a class of 2016 alum, says Tech Treks was one of the most significant experiences during her time at Carroll.

“These trips opened doors to connect with people at these companies which helped me get two tech internships during college,” Adams, who currently works as a Success Manager at Amplitude Analytics, says.

Additionally, with 18 business student organizations, eight academic centers, and a number of case study competitions, students have opportunities on campus available to them.

STRONG CAREERS REPORT

Carroll prides itself in its dedication to helping its students find the right career.

With eight academic centers, personalized advising, and resume workshops, Carroll provides a wide range of resources for its students.

Additionally, two-thirds of Carroll students choose to take part in the “Sophomore Accelerator,” a one-credit optional course in which students explore a range of the career resources offered by Carroll. Through the course, students can also connect with over 400 “Eagle Experts,” recent alumni who provide mentorship and coaching to assist students in their career development.

These resources prove extremely helpful and Carroll’s employment numbers prove it.

Nearly 95% of the Class of 2018 who sought employment were hired within four months of graduation, with a median starting salary of $65,346.

What Recent Alumni Say:

“I was a Portico TA which allowed me to not only teach and mentor freshmen business students but also revisit the business ethics and philosophy topics in the senior Portico TA capstone class that brought a new lens and meaning to topics we learned in our first year.”

“I took an international accounting class that traveled to Chile and Peru at the end of the semester for two weeks to visit international companies and learn about their operations and associated accounting implications.” 

“I was able to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland for a semester where I took a mix of accounting, history, and music classes. Additionally, the business school not only made it possible but encouraged me to study a subject outside the business school. In addition to studying accounting and finance in the business school, I was able to major in history. I believe that this balance of business classes with history classes made my education more valuable.” 

Where The Class of 2018 Went To Work:

PWC – 45

Deloitte – 24

Citi – 19

Ernst & Young – 17

KPMG – 14

Oracle – 12

Wayfair – 9

JP Morgan Chase – 7

Deutsche Bank – 6

Goldman Sachs – 6