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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Bentley University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/bentley-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/bentley-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/bentley-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bentley-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bentley-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Bentley University cost after financial aid?

Grants and scholarships cover about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient at Bentley University. That cuts a $79,548 (an average across living arrangements) sticker price down to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $37,930.

The reduction amounts to $41,618. That sticker price includes $61,000 in tuition and fees and $20,140 for room and board.

The average net price is the out-of-pocket cost for aid recipients. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the median net price is $27,371.

The figure here is $10,559 above that median. Azimuth ranks the university #1,331 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 6th percentile.

Bentley University lists a published cost of attendance of $79,548 (an average across living arrangements). Grants and scholarships lower the billed cost to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/).

That price is $37,930, a level $10,559 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #1,331 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That places the pillar in the 6th percentile. Families earning under $30,000 average $21,196 after aid, and those earning over $110,000 average $49,190.

Completing borrowers hold $25,023 in federal loans, $824 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

16.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the group the lowest income band applies to. Aid recipients earning under $30,000 average $21,196, and those in the $30,001–$48,000 band average $18,587.

The $48,001–$75,000 band averages $26,164, the $75,001–$110,000 band averages $33,653, and families over $110,000 average $49,190. Lowest to highest, the bands differ by $27,994.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$21,196

**$30–48K**
$18,587

**$48–75K**
$26,164

**$75–110K**
$33,653

**$110K+**
$49,190

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$37,930**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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 price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$43,757

**Estimated parent payment**
$556/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=bentley-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.