Bentley University

Bentley University's published cost of attendance is $79,548, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $21,196 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $26,164, and higher-income families pay approximately $49,190.

Azimuth ranks Bentley University #1340 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Bentley's business-focused curriculum attracts students who expect strong early-career earnings, and the institution's aid structure reflects that positioning. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and Bentley University participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs.

The gap between sticker price and net price narrows at higher income levels, which is typical of institutions where merit aid plays a more limited role relative to need-based grants — a dynamic worth examining carefully when comparing offers, as the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) can make sticker-heavy institutions appear more expensive than they are for qualifying families. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,023, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $43,757; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $108,577, median federal debt of $25,023 projects to a monthly payment of about $283 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Bentley University earn median earnings of $108,577 four years after enrollment, placing Bentley University in the 99.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $24,357 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Bentley University in the 97.6 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Bentley University #12 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Bentley University's degree output is anchored in Business, which accounts for 85% of graduates, with Social Sciences representing another 32%. The highest aggregate-return program is Finance, which combines large cohort scale with strong pay.

Azimuth ranks Finance #15 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 244 graduates earning median earnings of $113,795 — 1.4x the national benchmark for the field. The Accounting program graduates 231 students with median earnings of $108,343, and Azimuth ranks the program #6 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Business Administration adds further depth, with Azimuth ranking it #22 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions and 170 graduates earning median earnings of $99,514. The concentration in business-adjacent fields helps explain why Bentley University's overall earnings run as far above peer medians as they do.

Bentley University's program mix is heavily concentrated in applied business and finance fields — a signature consistent with its identity as a business-focused private university in the Boston metro. Business dominates the degree portfolio, with Business accounting for 85% of graduates and Social Sciences representing 32%.

The largest program by cohort is Finance with 244 graduates, followed by Accounting (231 graduates), Business Administration (170 graduates), Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (152 graduates), and Digital Marketing (122 graduates). Across 12 programs serving roughly 1,246 students annually, 11 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold.

The strongest ranks cluster in finance and accounting. Azimuth ranks Finance #15 among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning a median $113,795 four years after enrollment.

Azimuth ranks Accounting #6 among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning a median $108,343. Azimuth ranks Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning a median $109,922, while Azimuth ranks Business/Managerial Economics #5 among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $108,886.

These programs are overwhelmingly high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways. Graduates in finance, accounting, and data analytics enter national labor markets in financial services, consulting, and technology — sectors where Boston-area employers recruit heavily and where supply and demand for college graduates remains strong.

The concentration of degree output in a narrow band of applied-business fields means that Bentley University's institutional earnings profile is tightly linked to outcomes in these specific career tracks rather than spread across a broad liberal-arts portfolio.