Frequently Asked Questions
Undergrad Undergrad Tuition & Financial Aid Tuition & Cost of Attendance
Tuition & Financial Aid
- Home
- About the Process
- Before You Apply
- Apply for Aid
- Apply for Additional Gift Aid
- Special Circumstances
- Updating FAFSA After Filing Taxes
- Financial Aid Verification
- After You're Offered Financial Aid
- Maintaining Eligibility
- Managing Repayment
- Tuition & Cost of Attendance
- Types of Aid
- Dates and Deadlines
- Forms and Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
- BUILD Students
- Contact Us
Start your Bethel journey with a clear price—so you can focus on your future.
Beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, Bethel University is lowering tuition for the College of Arts & Sciences to $25,990—down from $44,050. We’re committed to helping you understand the true cost of a Bethel education from the start so you can make informed decisions about your future.
You probably have questions about how these changes will affect you. Here are some answers.
- Why are we repositioning our tuition?
- Who does this affect?
- Will this really save students and families money?
- What does this mean for current students?
- Why aren’t all of the university’s students eligible for this reduction?
- Will merit aid still be available?
- Will the quality of Bethel’s academics decrease because of the lower tuition rate?
- Is this a guaranteed tuition rate for multiple years?
Why are we repositioning our tuition?
1. For your education—and your future.
Traditional higher education costs are opaque and confusing. Sticker prices are high and may not clearly convey true out-of-pocket costs. At Bethel, we’re committed to transparent and authentic pricing. With a clear cost, we’re empowering you to make informed decisions so you can pursue your calling with confidence.
2. Because it aligns with our mission and values.
Our mission is to educate and equip students to lead lives of impact through transformative academics in a Christ-centered community. To do that, a Bethel education must be attainable to students like you—because you belong at Bethel.
With greater clarity and transparency around pricing, we can better serve students who might have previously looked elsewhere. Research shows that 70% of families eliminate a school from consideration based on financial reasons—often because of a high published price.
This approach better aligns with our values as an institution and it pushes back on what has become an industry standard: increasing list prices and providing significant price discounts promoted as scholarships. We’re committed to giving you clear answers about who we are, what we offer, and what Bethel will cost. It’s all part of our vision for Bethel as a forward-looking university that boldly answers God’s call.
Who does this affect?
This new tuition rate will apply to all new and returning students in the College of Arts & Sciences starting in fall 2025. If you’re an incoming student, you’ll begin your Bethel journey under the new tuition rate.
For current students, your costs will be adjusted to reflect the new price. Rest assured, no current student will see their total cost for the 2025-26 academic year exceed what it would have been without the new tuition model.
Will this really save students and families money?
No current student will pay more than what they would have as a result of the repositioning.* Incoming students will have a clear understanding from the start of what they’ll actually pay. We’ll continue to offer the aid and scholarships that make Bethel accessible to as many students as possible.
*Note: Factors unrelated to the new tuition rate, such as changes in family size or income, can increase what a student pays compared to the previous year.
What does this mean for current students?
Your tuition for the 2025-26 academic year will decrease to $25,990, and your financial aid package will be adjusted to reflect the new cost. This means you and your family can expect to pay about the same amount you would have without the tuition repositioning.
Why aren’t all of the university’s students eligible for this reduction?
As part of our commitment to making a Bethel education attainable, we’ve been working for years to competitively price many of our programs. Because pricing models for the following students are already transparent, they will not be affected by the repositioning:
- students in the BUILD program
- graduate students
- seminary students
- adult undergraduate students (in the College of Adult & Professional Studies)
The tuition change for the College of Arts & Sciences is one of the most recent—and most significant—steps to make our pricing simple, authentic, and transparent for all Bethel students.
Will merit aid still be available?
Yes, merit aid will still be available. Your tuition for the 2025-26 academic year will decrease to $25,990, and your financial aid package will be adjusted to reflect the new cost. As a result, you and your family can expect to pay about the same as you would have paid without the tuition repositioning.
Will the quality of Bethel’s academics decrease because of the lower tuition rate?
Not at all. This repositioning is part of Bethel’s ongoing work to meet your needs as a student and prepare you—and the university—for the future. We’re committed to offering a high-quality education while reaching even more students who may have thought our transformative academics were out of reach.
Is this a guaranteed tuition rate for multiple years?
The $25,990 tuition rate is set for 2025-26. Tuition for future years will be set each fall for the upcoming academic year.
We're here to help.
If you still have questions, your financial aid counselor will be able to guide you through the financial aid process and help you determine how to pay for college. We’re committed to giving you the best possible aid package based on your financial need.