1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Bentley University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Bentley University MA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #196 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/bentley-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/bentley-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/bentley-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bentley-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bentley-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Bentley University #196 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Bentley University is a private nonprofit university in Waltham, Massachusetts, built around business. The degree mix is concentrated in that family, and the largest programs are Finance and Accounting. The fit is narrow and deep: a student who wants a business degree in the Northeast and expects to work right after finishing. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. Return is among the highest we track. The model attributes more of that gap to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — than to what it cannot explain. The lowest income band pays far less than the published cost, while the highest band pays more than the lowest band but still less than the published cost. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and the spread between the two ends is wide. Pell students complete at a rate above the overall cohort, and access is around the average and mobility is above average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The return pillar is among the highest we track, and the programs with the highest earnings are not the largest ones. ## Bentley University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 45.1% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 86.8% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $108,577 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $26,164 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,023 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $43,757 ## Bentley University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Bentley University is a private nonprofit university in Waltham, Massachusetts, enrolling 4,474 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (87th percentile). Bentley University admits 45.1% of applicants, a rate well below the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 92.7% return for a second year, against a median of 83.4% for similar schools. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 86.8%, compared with a median of 68.8% for comparable institutions. An estimated 8.4% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a large majority of the student body. The four pillars sit far apart here: return is the strongest, while affordability is the weakest. Mobility and access fall in between. The four pillars sit far apart at Bentley University. Return is the clearest strength, in the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility follows at the 74th percentile, and access is at the 49th percentile. Affordability, the weakest pillar, is in the 6th percentile, so the net price and debt figures deserve a close look. 16.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Those students complete at 88.8%, 2.0 percentage points above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (86.8%). Azimuth ranks Bentley University #743 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #379 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $23,157 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Bentley University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #196 | | [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #10 | | [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #46 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 74 **Access & reach** National percentile: 49 **[Affordability](/school/bentley-university/cost/)** National percentile: 6 **[Return on investment](/school/bentley-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 99 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Business/Corporate Communications**#1** 2. Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other**#1** 3. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management**#3** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/bentley-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Bentley University briefing ## [Bentley University cost & financial aid](/school/bentley-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) 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. 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. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$26,164** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Bentley University 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. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) 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 Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. 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) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/bentley-university/cost/) 02 / Bentley University briefing ## [Bentley University career outcomes & earnings](/school/bentley-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Bentley University graduates earn a median of $108,577 four years after completion. That figure places the university at the 98th percentile for earnings, and in the 99th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is $40,327 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $23,157 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 97th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $13,669. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,488. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $714. Bentley University graduates earn a median of $108,577 four years after completing a degree, measured among 1,281 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That places the university in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $23,157 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap sits at the 97th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, put the typical outcome at $108,577, with a downside of $93,501 and an upside of $114,260. An estimated 20.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Bentley University graduates earn a median of $108,577 four years after completion, at the 98th percentile, $40,327 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #16 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $23,157 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 97th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $13,669. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,488. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $714. The university's program mix is concentrated in business fields, and the earnings scenarios estimated from that mix run from $93,501 on the downside to $114,260 on the upside. An estimated 20.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios span from $93,501 on the downside to $114,260 on the upside. The range is wide enough that program choice matters for a student's likely outcome. At the program level, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management graduates report the highest median four years after completion, at $122,075 from 27 degrees awarded. Finance, the largest program, follows at $113,795. Graduates of Bentley University earn about $23,157 more than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who finish at the university owe a median of $25,023 in federal student loans. That figure is $824 above the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. Parents who take out PLUS loans owe a median of $43,757 separately from student debt. These figures cover federal loans only, not the full cost families face. For context, the published cost of attendance is $79,548 (an average across living arrangements). For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 52% of the published cost. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$13,669 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$9,488 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$23,157 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/bentley-university/outcomes/) 03 / Bentley University briefing ## [Bentley University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/bentley-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Bentley University admits 45.1% of applicants, a rate well below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 11,011 first-year applicants and 4,961 admitted applicants. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 45.1% **25th percentile** 1290 **Median** 1340 **75th percentile** 1403 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/bentley-university/admissions/) 04 / Bentley University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Bentley University?](/school/bentley-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Bentley University is a business school, and the numbers bear that out. Business accounts for 86.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and the largest programs are concentrated in finance, accounting and management. Finance is the biggest single program, with 244 degrees awarded and median earnings of $113,795 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #14 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management graduates earn $122,075, from 27 degrees a year. Azimuth ranks it #3 nationally in its field. At the more moderate end, Marketing posts $88,461 with 122 degrees awarded, ranking #16 nationally. Business accounts for 86.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and the university has 11 nationally ranked programs. The largest single field is Finance, at 244 degrees a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #14 nationally in its field, with median earnings of $113,795 four years after completion. Accounting is close behind at 231 degrees and ranks #9 nationally, with earnings of $108,343. Business Administration and Management awards 170 degrees and ranks #27 nationally, with earnings of $99,514. Marketing awards 122 degrees and ranks #16 nationally, with earnings of $88,461. Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn $111,853 four years out, from 61 degrees a year, and Azimuth ranks it #47 nationally. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Finance and Financial Management Services 244 degrees awarded** $113,795 **Accounting and Related Services 231 degrees awarded** $108,343 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 170 degrees awarded** $99,514 **Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other 152 degrees awarded** $109,922 **Marketing 122 degrees awarded** $88,461 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 80 degrees awarded** $105,183 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/bentley-university/majors/) 05 / Bentley University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Bentley University?](/school/bentley-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/bentley-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Bentley University. Admissions peerProvidence College50.9% admitted+ Comparison with Bentley University | Measure | Bentley University | Providence College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $108,577 | $83,143\-$25,434 vs Bentley University | | Average annual net price | $37,930 | $48,523+$10,593 vs Bentley University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 45.1% | 50.9% | Higher-admission alternativeMassachusetts Maritime Academy94.7% admitted+ Comparison with Bentley University | Measure | Bentley University | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $108,577 | $103,680\-$4,897 vs Bentley University | | Average annual net price | $37,930 | $21,582\-$16,348 vs Bentley University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.1% | 94.7% | [Explore Massachusetts Maritime Academy →](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/) Nearby alternativeBabson CollegeNearby option · MA+ Comparison with Bentley University | Measure | Bentley University | Babson College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $108,577 | $117,794+$9,217 vs Bentley University | | Average annual net price | $37,930 | $40,514+$2,584 vs Bentley University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 45.1% | 17.1% | [Explore Babson College →](/school/babson-college/) Lower-cost alternativeNortheastern University$30,915 average net price+ Comparison with Bentley University | Measure | Bentley University | Northeastern University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $108,577 | $101,903\-$6,674 vs Bentley University | | Average annual net price | $37,930 | $30,915\-$7,015 vs Bentley University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.1% | 5.2% | [Explore Northeastern University →](/school/northeastern-university/) Similar profileDartmouth CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Bentley University | Measure | Bentley University | Dartmouth College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $108,577 | $111,883+$3,306 vs Bentley University | | Average annual net price | $37,930 | $29,519\-$8,411 vs Bentley University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.1% | 5.4% | [Explore Dartmouth College →](/school/dartmouth-college/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/bentley-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)