Babson College: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Babson College is a private nonprofit college in Wellesley, MA. Students pay about $40,514 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $123,938 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2.4 years and adds $590,324 over a decade, ranking it #8 of 918 (top 2%) by value added.
What is Babson College's acceptance rate?
Babson College has an acceptance rate of 17.1%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Wellesley, MA enrolling about 2,728 students, with a 92.7% graduation rate.
How much does Babson College cost?
Babson College costs about $40,514 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $182,056. Published sticker cost of attendance is $80,192 per year.
How much do Babson College graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Babson College student earns $123,938 per year. That is $77,238 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Babson College worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Babson College pays back its roughly $182,056 cost in about 2.4 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $590,324 net of cost, a 4.24x return on the money invested. That ranks it #8 of 918 (top 2%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Babson College graduation rate and student debt
92.7% of Babson College students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $20,000 in federal student debt. That debt is about 16% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Babson College by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Babson College compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $40,514 | $20,299 | cheaper than 5% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $123,938 | $54,768 | 99th |
| Graduation rate | 92.7% | 57.0% | 97th |
| Acceptance rate | 17.1% | 75.7% | more selective than 95% |
| 10-yr value added | $590,324 | -$28,192 | 99th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 4.24x | 0.73x | 95th |
| Payback period | 2.4 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 94% |
How Babson College compares with its nearest rivals
Babson College ranks #8 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 5 of them cost less per year and 1 of them produces higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Babson College is a private nonprofit college in Wellesley, MA with 2,728 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $80,192 a year, but the average aided family pays $40,514, a 49% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $20,000, equal to 16% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Babson College admits 17.1% of applicants.
- Princeton University (Princeton, NJ; #7 of 918; 97.4% graduate) costs $34,386 less per year ($6,128 net), and its graduates earn $13,872 less ten years out ($110,066). Princeton University adds $8,504 more ten-year value than Babson College. Princeton University pays back its cost in 0.5 years.
- Bentley University (Waltham, MA; #9 of 918; 87.5% graduate) costs $2,584 less per year ($37,930 net), and its graduates earn $2,979 less ten years out ($120,959). Babson College adds $24,477 more ten-year value than Bentley University. Bentley University pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
- MCPHS University (Boston, MA; #6 of 918; 62.7% graduate) costs $969 less per year ($39,545 net), and its graduates earn $1,619 more ten years out ($125,557). MCPHS University adds $15,066 more ten-year value than Babson College. MCPHS University pays back its cost in 2.3 years.
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA; #10 of 918; 93.2% graduate) costs $28,398 less per year ($12,116 net), and its graduates earn $21,166 less ten years out ($102,772). Babson College adds $99,740 more ten-year value than Georgia Institute of Technology. Georgia Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 1.3 years.
- University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA; #10 of 918; 96.7% graduate) costs $11,815 less per year ($28,699 net), and its graduates earn $12,567 less ten years out ($111,371). Babson College adds $74,125 more ten-year value than University of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania pays back its cost in 2 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCPHS University | #6 | $39,545 | $125,557 | 62.7% | $605,390 |
| Princeton University | #7 | $6,128 | $110,066 | 97.4% | $598,828 |
| Babson College | #8 | $40,514 | $123,938 | 92.7% | $590,324 |
| Bentley University | #9 | $37,930 | $120,959 | 87.5% | $565,847 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | #10 | $12,116 | $102,772 | 93.2% | $490,584 |
| University of Pennsylvania | #10 | $28,699 | $111,371 | 96.7% | $516,199 |
Paying for Babson College
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Babson College worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Babson College ranks #8 of 918 (top 2%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 4.24x the money invested over a decade.
Is Babson College expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $40,514 average net price is above the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 5% of them.
Do Babson College graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $123,938 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 99% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Babson College compared to other colleges?
Its 17.1% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 95% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.