Boston College (also referred to as BC) is a private Jesuit Catholic research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States, 6 miles west of downtown Boston. It has 9,100 full-time undergraduates and almost 5,000 graduate students. The university's name reflects its early history as a liberal arts college and preparatory school in Boston's South End. It is a member of the 568 Group and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.