In 1863, the Society of Jesus established Boston College with only three teachers and 22 students. As of 2011, 14,796 students are enrolled with a 30 percent acceptance rate. The school is still experiencing rapid growth. From 1990 to 2010, Boston College increased its undergraduate population by 75 percent.
The school's student population is comprised of 70 percent Catholics. Alumni members number 156,343, the largest Catholic alumni association in the world. The college employs 708 full-time faculty, with 98 percent holding doctoral degrees.
Academic programs in nine schools and colleges include the College of Arts and Sciences, Connell School of Nursing and Lynch School of Education. Tuition per credit ranges from $630 to $1,270. Depending on a student's area of study, additional fees, including mandatory medical insurance, range from $1,600 to $2,800.
Harvard University, a world-renowned research institution, traditionally ranks among the top universities in the world. In 2011, Harvard ranked first in the "U.S. News" Best Colleges poll. With a highly competitive acceptance policy, only 7 percent of applicants are admitted into one of the school's 11 colleges.
In 2010, annual tuition ranged from $22,856 to $46,150. Undergraduate and graduate enrollments in 2009 totaled 21,115, including 1,987 students enrolled in Harvard's extension program.
Harvard University Extension School offers degree programs outside of its traditional platform, through evening, weekend and online classes. Students complete three courses with a minimum 3.0 GPA as a requirement for acceptance into the program. Students in the program enjoy a significant reduction in tuition rates, ranging from $925 to $1,850. Mandatory fees are also discounted or waived.
MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, offers a world-class education with five schools and more than 30 programs. Known as a premier research institution in science and technology, the school also grants degrees in humanities, arts and social sciences. Annual tuition rates for both undergraduate and graduate students totaled $19,470 for the fall and spring 2010-11 terms.
MIT pioneered the OpenCourseWare Initiative in 2002. Through OpenCourseWare, MIT provides web access to undergraduate and graduate course materials free of charge and without credit. Course materials include videotaped lectures, lecture notes and student assignments.
Emerson College, founded in 1880, focuses on communication and the arts with a liberal arts emphasis. Emerson has developed a strong reputation for staying in the forefront of emerging fields within new media and communications. In 2010, The Princeton Review ranked Emerson's student-run college radio station No. 3 in the nation.
As of 2010, 3,453 undergraduates and 837 graduates were enrolled full-time at the college. Emerson's female student population accounts for 64 percent of total enrollment. Tuition starts at $961 per credit for undergraduates and $1,235 for graduate students.