HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Villanova University vs Boston College

Villanova University clears +$2.48M in 30-year net value, Boston College +$1.33M — both pay off, Villanova University by +$1.15M.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Villanova University · Villanova, PA

clears more

30-year net value
+$2.48M
Total cost of attendance
$326,388
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$88,765
Breaks even by age
38

Boston College · Chestnut Hill, MA

30-year net value
+$1.33M
Total cost of attendance
$344,620
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$81,762
Breaks even by age
49
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Villanova University vs Boston College: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/villanova-vs-bc

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Questions

Is Villanova University or Boston College a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Villanova University clears +$2.48M and Boston College +$1.33M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Villanova University comes out ahead by +$1.15M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Villanova University pay off than Boston College?
About +$1.15M over a 30-year horizon (+$2.48M vs +$1.33M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Villanova University?
+$2.48M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $326,388, median earnings ten years out $88,765, breaking even around age 38. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.