College · Private nonprofit · Waltham, MA · City
Bentley University
Waltham, MA
Admit rate45%
6-yr median pay$87k
Net price / yr$38k
Undergrad size4,474
§ I · The real read
What it's actually like.
The bet
Net price of $38k/yr for a shot at a $87k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.
Getting in
Admit rate of 45% means this is selective — grades, essays, and testing matter. Admitted students average SAT 1352 · ACT 30.
If you get in
4,474 undergrads. Small. You will know your cohort.
Where you live
City campus — public transit, off-campus food, weekends happen nearby.
§ II · Cost & aid
Sticker vs. real.
Sticker cost of attendance is $80k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $38k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.
Sticker · 4 yrs$318k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$152k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$166k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.8x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.
Where the money goes · annual sticker.
- Tuition · in-state
- $61.0k
- Room & board
- $20.1k
- Books & supplies
- $1,200
How students pay for it.
Pell grants16%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans43%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$25k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $11k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes
Do people finish? Do they land?
1-yr retention93%
Very high — students stay.
Graduation · 6 yr87%
Most finish on time.
6-yr median pay$87k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$121k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out10%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity
Setting, size, and who this school is.
- Setting
- City
- Control
- Private nonprofit
- Undergrad size
- 4,474
- Location
- Waltham, MA
- Region
- New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
- Carnegie class
- Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
- Size & setting
- Four-year · medium · highly residential
- Undergrad program
- Four-year · full-time, more selective, lower transfer-in
- Accreditor
- New England Commission on Higher Education
- Also known as
- Bentley
§ · Who studies here
The student body at a glance.
- White53%
- International15%
- Hispanic14%
- Asian10%
- Black4%
- Two or more races3%
- Unknown1%
First-gen students16%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time1%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Median family income$107k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 38
What you can study.
- Computer and Information Sciences$117k · 5-yr
- Finance$111k · 5-yr
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$110k · 5-yr
- Management Science$104k · 5-yr
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies$103k · 5-yr
- Accounting$99k · 5-yr
- Business/Managerial Economics$95k · 5-yr
- Business Administration and Management$94k · 5-yr
- Marketing/Marketing Management$93k · 5-yr
- Business/Corporate Communications$87k · 5-yr
- Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) Programearnings not reported
- International/Globalization Studiesearnings not reported
- Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studiesearnings not reported
- Sustainability Studiesearnings not reported
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitnessearnings not reported
- Philosophyearnings not reported
- Clinical Psychologyearnings not reported
- Public Policy Analysisearnings not reported
- Economicsearnings not reported
- Political Science and Governmentearnings not reported
- Arts, Entertainment, and Media Managementearnings not reported
- Public Healthearnings not reported
- Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studiesearnings not reported
- International Business/Trade/Commerceearnings not reported
- Management Information Systemsearnings not reported
- Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operationsearnings not reported
- High School Equivalence Certificate Programearnings not reported
- Natural Resources/Conservationearnings not reported
- Historyearnings not reported
- African-American/Black Studiesearnings not reported
- Speech Communication and Rhetoricearnings not reported
- Network and System Administration/Administratorearnings not reported
- Chinese Language and Literatureearnings not reported
- French Language and Literatureearnings not reported
- Pre-Law Studiesearnings not reported
- English Language and Literatureearnings not reported
- Mathematicsearnings not reported
- Applied Mathematicsearnings not reported