Bentley University

Private · Selective · MA

Photo: Daderot (Public domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingUrban

Undergrads4,474

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate80.6%

6-yr grad rate86.8%

Drop-out rate7.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$61k

Out-of-state tuition$61k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity47.5%

Gender diversity39.4%

International14.6%

Identity—

Overview

Bentley is a private business-focused university in Waltham, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, where nearly every student studies business or a business-adjacent field, often pairing a business major with an economics or liberal-arts minor. It has built its identity around close ties to the corporate world, particularly in finance and accounting recruiting, and its culture is professional and career-oriented from the first year on, with students often discussing internships and career paths well before their peers at more traditional liberal arts colleges.

Academics

Accounting and finance are Bentley's clear signature strengths, with strong placement into the region's accounting firms and financial institutions supported by a hands-on trading room and analytics labs that mirror real industry tools like live market data terminals. The curriculum blends business coursework with a required liberal arts core delivered through the university's Arts and Sciences departments, an intentional structure meant to produce well-rounded business graduates rather than narrow technical specialists. The university has also invested heavily in data analytics, business technology, and information design programs to keep pace with employer demand for those skills.

Campus & student life

The suburban Waltham campus is a short trip from Boston, and many students take advantage of the city for internships, recruiting events, and networking during the school year rather than waiting for a formal placement term. Student culture is professional and networking-minded, with business clubs, case competitions, and student-run investment funds occupying a prominent place alongside more traditional social life and Greek organizations. Athletics compete at the Division I level in ice hockey and Division II in most other sports, giving Bentley an unusual dual-division athletic identity relative to most of its business-school peers.

Getting in

Bentley's admissions process looks for students who already show clear business or quantitative interest, and demonstrated interest and fit with the school's career-focused culture matter in evaluation alongside grades in math and economics coursework. Essays tend to focus on professional goals and career direction more than the personal-narrative style common at liberal arts colleges, and the university is candid that it wants students who have already chosen a business-oriented path rather than students still exploring broadly.

After graduation

Bentley has an unusually direct pipeline into Big Four accounting firms and Boston-area financial institutions, and its career services and recruiting infrastructure, including a heavily used corporate relations office, are frequently cited as a defining strength of the undergraduate experience. The alumni network is concentrated in finance, accounting, and consulting, and Bentley graduates are especially well represented in New England's corporate and financial sectors specifically, somewhat less so nationally outside the Northeast.

Worth knowing

Students who are certain they want a business-first education, rather than a broader liberal arts experience with more room to explore majors, tend to be the best fit here; the recruiting culture starts early, sometimes as soon as sophomore year, and is a defining feature of the undergraduate experience rather than something reserved for senior year.

bentley.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate45.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1280–1430 · ACT 28–31

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 15

Regular decisionJan 15

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App or Coalition (Scoir).

Early decision IIJan 15

Early Decision I and Early Decision II are both binding; if you're admitted you must withdraw applications to other schools.

Supplemental essays (4)

Bentley's core values are Caring, Collaboration, Diversity, Honesty, Impact, Learning, and Respect. Select one or two of these core values and share how you currently embody them in your life. How will you continue to develop these values at Bentley?
250 words · Optional · one of three optional written questions, 250 words or less
Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity –aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and our success in college and beyond. You may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise.
250 words · Optional · one of three optional written questions, 250 words or less
You wake up tomorrow morning and it's the first day of high school. What would you do differently over the next few years?
250 words · Optional · one of three optional written questions, 250 words or less
Video question
After learning about Bentley, what influenced your decision to apply?
Optional · optional video response; can be submitted instead of or alongside the written questions