More selective than 70% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $79,548. College Scorecard.
Higher than 77% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 94% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 99% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Bentley University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 10,482 applicants, Bentley University admitted 5,077 and 1,120 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1280–1430 on the SAT or 28–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Bentley University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Bentley University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Bentley University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $21,196 | $87,116 | 1.1 years |
| $30–48k | $18,587 | $76,393 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $26,164 | $107,534 | 1.3 years |
| $75–110k | $33,653 | $138,314 | 1.7 years |
| $110k+ | $49,190 | $202,171 | 2.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (79% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($120,959) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $81,079 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Bentley University majors, earnings & careers
Bentley University offers 38 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 13
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Non-degree / basic skills · 1
Highest-earning majors at Bentley University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | $148,087 | $27,000 |
| Information Technology | $122,075 | $24,747 |
| Finance | $113,795 | $26,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $111,853 | $26,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $111,433 | $25,000 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $109,922 | $26,000 |
| Business Economics | $108,886 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $108,343 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 38 majors
- Accounting$108,343
- Applied Mathematics—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Business / Corporate Communications$80,781
- Business Administration$99,514
- Business Economics$108,886
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$109,922
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$111,853
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$113,795
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations—
- High School / Secondary Certificate Programs—
- History—
- Information Technology$122,075
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies—
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal$148,087
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$105,183
- Management Information Systems—
- Management Science / Analytics$111,433
- Marketing$88,461
- Mathematics$101,971
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Health—
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Sustainability Studies—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boston
Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,383. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 59 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Middlesex County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Middlesex County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Bentley University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley University | 45% | $37,930 | 87% | $120,959 | This school |
| Brandeis University | 41% | $35,736 | 86% | $77,231 | |
| Emerson College | 51% | $49,180 | 77% | $62,832 | |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 60% | $43,071 | 90% | $103,470 | |
| Mount Holyoke College | 36% | $26,441 | 84% | $58,418 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Bentley University would cost you $2,194 more per year than Brandeis University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Bentley University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$7,080).
- Brandeis University gives aided families $9,094 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Bentley University | Brandeis University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $61,000 | $68,080 | −$7,080 |
| Books & supplies | $1,300 | $1,000 | +$300 |
| Housing & meals | $19,200 | $19,096 | +$104 |
| Personal & travel | $1,310 | $1,200 | +$110 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,262 | −$2,928 | −$334 |
| Sticker price | $79,548 | $86,448 | −$6,900 |
| Average grants | −$41,618 | −$50,712 | +$9,094 |
| You pay | $37,930 | $35,736 | +$2,194 |
“+” means Bentley University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Bentley University
What is the Bentley University acceptance rate?
Bentley University accepts 45% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,077 of 10,482 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1280–1430 on the SAT or 28–31 on the ACT.
How much does Bentley University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $79,548 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $37,930 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,196 and families earning $110k+ pay $49,190.
How much do Bentley University graduates earn?
Former Bentley University students earn a median $120,959 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Bentley University graduation rate?
87% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a Bentley University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Bentley University costs about $107,534 after grants ($26,164 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $120,959 ten years after starting, $81,079 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 1.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Bentley University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bentley-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).