Bentley University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 45%, Bentley University is a selective private college in Massachusetts. Because it admits a minority of applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Bentley University weighs, where it ranks among Massachusetts schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1360, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Bentley University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Bentley University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Bentley University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Bentley University?
Bentley University admits roughly 45% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Bentley University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Bentley University hard to get into?
Bentley University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 45% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Bentley University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Bentley University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Bentley University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Bentley University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Bentley University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Bentley University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1360 SAT?
About 71% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1360 SAT, the middle of Bentley University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1430 SAT comes out near 86%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/bentley-university.
How to get into Bentley University
Built from Bentley University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Bentley University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Bentley University carries about a 3.51 core GPA and a 1380 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1280 to 1430 SAT (28 to 31 ACT). Submit a score at 1355 or higher; below 1280, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Bentley University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Bentley University's exact dates at www.bentley.edu.
How many students apply to Bentley University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Bentley University received 10,482 applications and admitted 5,077, an acceptance rate of 48.4%. 1,120 enrolled. Only about 22% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Bentley University enrolls about 4,474 undergraduates in total, 39% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Bentley University?
Admitted students at Bentley University post SAT scores of 1280 to 1430 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1352. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 28 to 31. A score above 1430 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1280 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Bentley University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Bentley University looks for
What Bentley University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Bentley University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Bentley University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Bentley University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Bentley University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Bentley University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $79,548 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $61,000. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $37,930 a year, and it ranges from $21,196 for families earning under $30,000 to $49,190 for families earning over $110,000. 16% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Bentley University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Bentley University students ten years after entry are $120,959 ($86,679 at the six-year mark). 87% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,023; 43% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Bentley University compares in Massachusetts
Bentley University ranks #16 most selective of 36 schools in Massachusetts in our database.
Among the 36 Massachusetts schools we track, Bentley University ranks #16 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Harvard University (4%) and Northeastern University (5%) sit nearby, which makes Massachusetts a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Bentley University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Bentley University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Loyola Marymount University, Johnson C. Smith University, and The King's College. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bentley University's acceptance rate?
Bentley University admitted 5,077 of 10,482 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 48.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 22% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Bentley University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1280 to 1430 on the SAT and 28 to 31 on the ACT. A score above 1430 is in the top quarter of admits. Bentley University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Bentley University test-optional?
Yes. Bentley University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Bentley University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Bentley University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $37,930 a year against a sticker price of about $79,548. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $21,196 on average.
What do Bentley University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Bentley University are $120,959 a year among students who received federal aid, and 87% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Bentley University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Bentley University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Bentley University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Bentley University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Bentley University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Bentley University specifically.
Is Bentley University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Bentley University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.