College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Bentley University

Waltham, MA 4,474 Undergrads 89.0% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$79,548
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$37,930
After Aid
Median Earnings
$108,577
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$37,930
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$108,577
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$120,959
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate89.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age19.8
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients15.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS92.0%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
45.1%
SAT Avg
1,352
SAT Reading
25th: 63065075th: 700
SAT Math
25th: 65067775th: 730
ACT Composite
25th: 283075th: 31

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$908k
+$441k
+$424k
Median Cost$38k/yr
+$772k
+$305k
+$287k
Full Cost$80k/yr
+$622k
+$155k
+$138k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
∞
Median Cost$38k/yr
31
211%
Full Cost$80k/yr
41
48%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return181%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-11%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$108,343
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$286k
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$99,514
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$218k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$109,922
Natl Median: $69,830
Lifetime Value Added
+$298k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$80,781
Natl Median: $65,784
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$108,886
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$290k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,250
Earnings (4yr)
$111,853
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$312k
Median Debt
$24,747
Earnings (4yr)
$122,075
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$390k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,642
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,027
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$113,795
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$327k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,907
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$23,625
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$105,183
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
+$262k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$111,433
Natl Median: $86,176
Lifetime Value Added
+$309k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$88,461
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$134k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$19,334
Earnings (4yr)
$101,971
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
+$237k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
BachCIP: 2200
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$148,087
Natl Median: $61,959
Lifetime Value Added
+$585k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,721
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,887
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$107,384
Natl Median: $86,165
Lifetime Value Added
+$357k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$123,384
Natl Median: $124,255
Lifetime Value Added
+$485k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $146,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$115,201
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$303k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$156,061
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$657k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $125,988
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$78,343
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$9k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$131,993
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
+$449k
Median Debt
$34,068
Earnings (4yr)
$161,848
Natl Median: $115,403
Lifetime Value Added
+$707k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$31,760
Earnings (4yr)
$130,975
Natl Median: $124,807
Lifetime Value Added
+$440k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$117,833
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
+$306k
Taxation
MastCIP: 5216
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$119,302
Natl Median: $114,810
Lifetime Value Added
+$339k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,363
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $113,566
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.