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Bethel University

Bethel University is a private campus in suburban Saint Paul, MN. The school reports a Baptist affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$22,031

family income
under $30k

$20,796

$30–48k

$22,279

$48–75k

$27,603

$75–110k

$33,418

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$28,5562023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Bethel University rose from $21,638 (2008) to $28,556 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$21,638
2009	$21,358
2010	$22,437
2011	$24,205
2012	$24,845
2013	$25,568
2014	$26,602
2015	$25,446
2016	$27,151
2017	$25,604
2018	$25,191
2019	$28,178
2020	$27,624
2021	$28,721
2022	$28,439
2023	$28,556

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$58,5692024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Bethel University rose from $36,071 (2009) to $58,569 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$36,071
2010	$37,701
2011	$39,113
2012	$41,284
2013	$42,692
2014	$43,974
2015	$45,532
2016	$47,083
2017	$48,485
2018	$50,325
2019	$51,155
2020	$52,723
2021	$53,361
2022	$54,444
2023	$56,310
2024	$58,569

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$15,900
2001	$16,780
2002	$17,700
2003	$18,700
2004	$19,880
2005	$21,130
2006	$22,590
2007	$24,510
2008	$25,860
2013	$31,760
2014	$32,990
2015	$34,140
2016	$35,160
2017	$36,210
2018	$37,300
2019	$38,460
2020	$39,030
2021	$40,080
2022	$41,270
2023	$42,930

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Bethel University reports published tuition of $44,226 in this record. Bethel University's $44,226 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Bethel University reports 1,871 undergraduates. This count does not measure class size or advising access.

71.4% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Bethel University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

71.4%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Bethel University has held near 71.4% from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	69.8%
1992 cohort	74.2%
1993 cohort	72.4%
1994 cohort	63.2%
1995 cohort	68.4%
1996 cohort	70.9%
1997 cohort	70.3%
1998 cohort	73.9%
1999 cohort	73.3%
2000 cohort	69.9%
2001 cohort	76.3%
2002 cohort	75.3%
2003 cohort	72.3%
2004 cohort	68.5%
2005 cohort	73.4%
2006 cohort	70.9%
2007 cohort	71.4%
2008 cohort	74.1%
2009 cohort	74.1%
2010 cohort	75.7%
2011 cohort	70.5%
2012 cohort	76.6%
2013 cohort	73.3%
2014 cohort	74.1%
2015 cohort	74.3%
2016 cohort	74.7%
2017 cohort	75.2%
2018 cohort	71.4%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

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Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$13,625	$5,525
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$13,690	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$14,300	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$13,465	$7,992
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$13,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$13,500	$8,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$13,963	$9,815
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$14,967	$6,188
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$15,063	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$15,292	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$16,117	$7,125
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$16,533	$8,112
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$16,625	$12,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$21,008	$13,688
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$21,500	$10,250
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$22,391	$10,250
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$23,353	$10,326
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$24,038	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$24,450	$10,150
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$23,445	$10,074
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$21,500	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$21,500	$10,167
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$22,500	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$21,500	$11,000

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$55,145

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$61,932

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$63,764

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Bethel University admitted 1,540 of 1,754 applicants in Fall 2024. The 87.8% rate describes that application pool.

87.8%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $42,930 tuition · 2023–24 1,871 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1190–13001600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Bethel University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Bethel University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 610–650 and Math was 580–650 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1190–1300 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	610	640	650
SAT Math	580	590	650
ACT Composite	22	26	28

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Bethel University received 1,754 applications and admitted 1,540 (87.8%), with 415 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

87.8%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	81.5%
Fall 2002	78.8%
Fall 2003	84%
Fall 2004	79.7%
Fall 2005	86%
Fall 2006	85.5%
Fall 2007	88.1%
Fall 2008	81.4%
Fall 2009	78%
Fall 2010	94.4%
Fall 2011	82.3%
Fall 2012	71.1%
Fall 2013	94.8%
Fall 2014	95.4%
Fall 2015	94.9%
Fall 2016	82.4%
Fall 2017	83.5%
Fall 2018	70.5%
Fall 2019	78.5%
Fall 2020	86.6%
Fall 2021	88.7%
Fall 2022	72.5%
Fall 2023	91%
Fall 2024	87.8%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1190–1300Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1050	1270
Fall 2002	1040	1320
Fall 2003	1040	1290
Fall 2004	1080	1320
Fall 2005	1040	1290
Fall 2006	1110	1360
Fall 2007	1010	1300
Fall 2008	1040	1290
Fall 2009	1023	1346
Fall 2011	1020	1305
Fall 2012	1006	1306
Fall 2013	1020	1250
Fall 2014	1030	1300
Fall 2015	995	1350
Fall 2016	990	1263
Fall 2017	1030	1360
Fall 2018	1033	1286
Fall 2019	1030	1290
Fall 2020	1040	1338
Fall 2021	1123	1343
Fall 2023	1065	1240
Fall 2024	1190	1300

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–28Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	21	27
Fall 2002	22	27
Fall 2003	21	27
Fall 2004	22	27
Fall 2005	22	28
Fall 2006	21	27
Fall 2007	22	28
Fall 2008	22	28
Fall 2009	21	28
Fall 2010	22	28
Fall 2011	22	28
Fall 2012	22	28
Fall 2013	22	28
Fall 2014	22	28
Fall 2015	22	27
Fall 2016	21	28
Fall 2017	21	27
Fall 2018	22	28
Fall 2019	21	27
Fall 2020	21	28
Fall 2021	20	28
Fall 2022	20	28
Fall 2023	23	29
Fall 2024	22	28

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,871Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Bethel University fell from 2,732 (Fall 2002) to 1,871 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	2,732
Fall 2003	2,902
Fall 2004	3,019
Fall 2005	3,172
Fall 2006	3,216
Fall 2007	3,355
Fall 2008	3,302
Fall 2009	3,325
Fall 2010	3,288
Fall 2011	3,394
Fall 2012	3,357
Fall 2013	3,178
Fall 2014	2,936
Fall 2015	2,875
Fall 2016	2,840
Fall 2017	2,777
Fall 2018	2,723
Fall 2019	2,660
Fall 2020	2,491
Fall 2021	2,298
Fall 2022	2,090
Fall 2023	2,012
Fall 2024	1,871

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

86%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Bethel University has held near 86% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	87%
Fall 2003 cohort	85%
Fall 2004 cohort	84%
Fall 2005 cohort	85%
Fall 2006 cohort	86%
Fall 2007 cohort	85%
Fall 2008 cohort	85%
Fall 2009 cohort	86%
Fall 2010 cohort	85%
Fall 2011 cohort	83%
Fall 2012 cohort	85%
Fall 2013 cohort	83%
Fall 2014 cohort	84%
Fall 2015 cohort	88%
Fall 2016 cohort	85%
Fall 2017 cohort	85%
Fall 2018 cohort	83%
Fall 2019 cohort	85%
Fall 2020 cohort	86%
Fall 2021 cohort	83%
Fall 2022 cohort	87%
Fall 2023 cohort	86%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Bethel University

Faculty pay at Bethel University averages $99,972 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Bethel University as a primarily residential campus of 1,871 undergraduates — and 85.7% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Bethel University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1190–1300 — their midpoint is near the MN four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Bethel University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Bethel University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Bethel University87.8%

Minnesota median85.4%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Bethel University$44,226

Minnesota median$22,520

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Bethel University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Bethel University$63,764

Minnesota median$58,351

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Bethel University, Minnesota and national reference values
Metric & basis	Bethel University	Minnesota median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	87.8%	85.4%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$44,226	$22,520	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$63,764	$58,351	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Bethel University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Bethel University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 15 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Human Resources Management and Services	$101,195
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$97,008
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$87,511
Physics	$85,657
Accounting and Related Services	$85,036
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$77,059
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness	$68,202
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	$60,919
Biology, General	$58,005
Psychology, General	$55,370
Social Work	$54,448
Communication and Media Studies	$53,868
Social Sciences, General	$52,907
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	$51,866
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$47,556

These 15 fields listed for Bethel University measure earnings after completion. The $63,764 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 37 additional Bethel University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Bethel University report?

Bethel University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1190–1300 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Bethel University's acceptance rate?

87.8% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 1,540 admitted from 1,754 applicants.

How much does Bethel University cost?

At Bethel University, tuition is $44,226. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Bethel University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $63,764. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Minnesota

Martin Luther College — 87.2% admitted
Hamline University — 87.6% admitted
Minnesota State University-Mankato — 88.4% admitted
Metropolitan State University — 98.7% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.