If you’re a student or an educator in civil, structural, transportation, or infrastructure engineering, Bentley Systems offers free educational use licenses.
Full professional software. Free – for educational use.
Link: Free Engineering Software for Students | Bentley Education
What the Bentley Education License Is
Bentley provides free education licenses to verified students and educators. Once approved, you get access to a large portion of Bentley’s professional software portfolio. This is meant for learning, coursework, teaching, and skill development. You install the same applications firms use on real projects.
You just can’t use them for commercial or paid work.
Software
- MicroStation: Bentley’s core CAD and modeling platform. Used for drafting, modeling, and visualization across infrastructure disciplines.
- OpenRoads Designer: Roadway, site, and corridor design. This is standard in many DOT and consultant workflows.
- STAAD.Pro: Structural analysis and design for buildings, bridges, and industrial structures.
- And many others.
You qualify if you are:
- A student enrolled at an accredited institution
- A teacher or educator using the software for instruction
What You Can and Cannot Do
You can use Bentley Education licenses for:
- Coursework Teaching Personal learning Skill building Portfolio projects created as part of education
You cannot use them for:
- Paid consulting Commercial projects Funded research tied to external clients
Once you graduate or leave an educational role, you’re expected to stop using the education license.
Bentley includes access to training through Bentley Learn, which helps structure coursework and assignments.
What to Watch Out For
- These tools are not lightweight and require desktop class hardware and graphics.
- Check system requirements before installing.
- Be clear on license boundaries.
- Education use only. No exceptions.
How to Get Access
Create a Bentley Education account at the program portal and verify eligibility: https://www.bentley.com/edu-sign-up/
Log in to the software portal with that account. Browse and install the applications you need.
When you launch the software, you’ll sign in through Bentley’s connection gateway to activate the education license.
Accounts are typically valid as long as you remain eligible (current student or teacher), and you may need to renew eligibility yearly.