Bentley University International Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

  • Bachelor's in International/Globalization Studies
  • Private nonprofit university
  • Waltham, MA

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Bentley University international studies graduates earn more than graduates of most international studies programs nationally, $75,006 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,625 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,233. It is one of the higher-paying international studies degrees in Massachusetts.

First-year earnings$75,00699th percentile of 80 programs nationally
Median federal debt$23,6253rd lowest of 5 Massachusetts programs
Debt-to-earnings31%Massachusetts median 49%, national 69%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Massachusetts and national columns are the medians across all international studies bachelor's programs that report the figure.

Debt and first-year pay at every Massachusetts international studies program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Massachusetts medians.

Bentley UniversityOther Massachusetts programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $250 a month, or 4.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

53% of graduates (19 of 36) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $75,006 salary here buys what about $69,279 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to international studies, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Political Scientists

$133,930

Median pay in Massachusetts. 170 people work in this job in Massachusetts. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $76,010Top 10%: $217,820

About Bentley University

International Studies ranks 3rd of 16 bachelor's programs at Bentley University by first-year earnings. The top three are Management Science ($81,103), Information Technology ($75,443), and International Studies ($75,006).

Other international studies bachelor's programs near Waltham

Common questions

The median graduate earns $75,006 one year after graduating. The median across international studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $46,530.

About this data

  • Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
  • Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
  • Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
  • Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Massachusetts comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
  • Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
  • School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the international studies program.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  3. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
  4. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
  5. NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

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