Cost & financial aid brief
Bentley University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Bentley University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $41,618 from the sticker price. The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes.
Still, the spread of $27,994 between the lowest and highest bands means the price moves up considerably as family earnings increase.
The published cost of attendance at Bentley University is $79,548 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,331 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $21,196, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $26,164, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $49,190. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $27,994.
Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $37,930, which is $10,559 above the median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $25,023 in federal student loans. That is $824 above the peer median of $24,199.
Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $43,757. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at Bentley University: 97.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $25,023.
The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, which puts the university's median $824 above it. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.
Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $43,757. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 52% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $40,742 per borrower.
Of those graduates, 49% held federal loans averaging $22,329. A separate 15% held private loans, averaging $64,523.
The earnings picture at Bentley University is strong by two different measures. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $108,577.
That is $40,327 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), placing the university at the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $23,157 more than expects for similar students.
That result is at the 97th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $93,501 to an upside of $114,260, with a typical figure of $108,577.
The median federal debt at completion is $25,023, $824 above the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $43,757. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $43,757
- Estimated parent payment
- $556/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Caution |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $25,023
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $43,757
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $284/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $556/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $840/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $108,577, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
4.0% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.