Private nonprofit · University

Bentley University

Waltham, Massachusetts · Small city

#5 for grad earnings in Massachusetts
45.1%
Admit rate
$37,930
Avg net price
87%
Graduation rate
$120,959
Median earnings

Bentley University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Waltham, Massachusetts (small city setting), enrolling 4,474 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 4,474 undergradsSmall citySelective · 45% admitNCAA Division II with football · Northeast 10 ConferenceCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Bentley University's admitted students.

Admit rate
45.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1280–1430
Avg GPA (est.)
3.78

Enter a test score to see where you land against Bentley University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Bentley University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Waltham, Massachusetts

Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. At the time of European arrival, Waltham was in a border zone between the territories of the Pawtucket confederation and the Massachusett, with nearby native settlements at Nonantum and Pequosset (Watertown). Waltham's combination of population (especially in central and south Waltham) parks, public transit, stores, and trails gives it 62 (out of 100) walkability ranking on walkscore.com. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
9 miles to Boston, MA
To the ocean
9 miles
Nearest airport
7 miles to Laurence G Hanscom Field (BED)

How Bentley University compares

Selectivity45.1%

More selective than 86% · #19 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1352

Higher than 85%

Graduation rate87%

Higher than 94% · #15 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention93%

Higher than 90%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$120,959

Higher than 99% · #5 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$37,930

Cheaper than 6% · #54 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$25,023

Lower than 30%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment4,474

Larger than 76%

Percentiles compare Bentley University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

5,281students
  • Undergraduate4,47485%
  • Graduate80715%

Undergraduates by gender

4,474undergrads
  • Women1,78740%
  • Men2,68760%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White53%
  • Black4.5%
  • Hispanic14%
  • Asian10.0%
  • Other or multiracial19%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,474
Graduate enrollment
807
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
16%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$106,566
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$142,623
Endowment
$362,644,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,120 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts39%
  • Other U.S. states45%
  • International16%

A national draw — only 38% of first-years come from Massachusetts; 45% arrive from other states.

16% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
45.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1280–1430
SAT average
1352
SAT reading
630–700
SAT math
650–730
ACT composite
28–31
Average GPA (estimated)
3.78

Cost

In-state tuition
$61,000
Room & board
$20,140
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$79,548
Average net price
$37,930

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
87%
Graduated on time (4 years)
81%
First-year retention
93%
Transferred to another college
10%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$86,679
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$120,959
Median debt at graduation
$25,023
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
89%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
81%
Low-income (Pell)
85%
First-generation
87%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,350
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
75%
Housing charge (year)
$11,650
Meal plan (year)
$7,550
Application fee
$75
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Northeast 10 Conference
Varsity athletes
683 (431 men · 252 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)145
Football102
Lacrosse94
Soccer74
Swimming and Diving (combined)59
Baseball42
Basketball30
Ice Hockey30
Field Hockey28
Tennis23
Golf19
Softball19
Volleyball18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
27
Property offenses (2022–2024)
4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,333 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

10reported offenses a year
9.0 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
5.3
Fondling
2.3
Aggravated assault
1.0
Burglary
0.7
Statutory rape
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$21,196
$30–48k
$18,587
$48–75k
$26,164
$75–110k
$33,653
$110k+
$49,190

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$107,469

$26,164/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

85%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$31,341
average award, among those who get one

Bentley University discounts heavily: 85% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $31,341. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,141 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$120,959
Typical debt at graduation
$25,023
Debt vs. one year's pay
21%
Out-earn a HS grad
91%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$114,289
Men
$124,682

Men out-earn women by $10,393 (9%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
18°F
Annual rain
42.6″
Annual snow
59″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bedford Hanscom Fld, MA US station (6.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Bentley University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Bentley University side by side →

Colleges near Bentley University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.