Princeton Review Ranks Bentley University Career Services #2 in the Nation

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Aug 01, 2017, 17:43 ET

WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Bentley University's nationally recognized Career Services Department has been ranked No. 2 in the United States by The Princeton Review in its just-released college guide, "The Best 382 Colleges." The ranking highlights Bentley's strength in preparing students for successful careers. Bentley is also the top college in the country for internship opportunities, according to The Princeton Review.

"Bentley University boasts one of the country's top business programs that looks to send technically-skilled, globally-minded graduates into the real world," the report said.

The Princeton Review also named Bentley to its list of "Best Northeastern Schools" and "Top 50 Green Colleges." The annual guide is a selective list that includes only 15 percent of America's 2,500 four-year colleges.

A Strong Return on Investment

Bentley provides a strong return on investment for students and their families through its strong academics, comprehensive student life and nationally recognized career services. Six months after graduation, 99 percent of the Bentley Class of 2016 was employed, attending or planning to attend graduate school. The average starting salary for Bentley graduates was $55,000.

"For many families, a child's college education is one of the largest investments they'll ever make," said Bentley University President Gloria Cordes Larson. "Bentley's hybrid approach integrates business education with arts and science courses to prepare students for a successful career and a truly rewarding life, giving families a great return on their educational investment."

At Bentley, planning for a career begins the first semester students arrive on campus through the university's HIRE Education career action plan, a 4-year approach to lead students toward a fulfilling career path.

"Bentley's approach to career planning takes students through four stages: explore, experiment, experience and excel," said Susan Brennan, Bentley's associate vice president of university career services. "Students develop lifelong professional development skills while sharpening the core aspects of their job search such as creating a resume, developing an elevator pitch and practicing interviews."

Ninety-nine percent of Bentley first-year students enroll in Career Services' Career Development 101 course, which lays the foundation for a lifetime of successful career management. During the class, students begin to discover their professional path with a personal assessment that includes Gallup's StrengthsFinder and interactive sessions with corporate recruiters.

As part of the career discovery process, 92 percent of Bentley students take at least one internship and 69 percent complete more than one before graduation.

(Listen to Susan Brennan talk about Bentley's approach to career services)

How the Ranking was Conducted

Princeton Review's selections are based on a survey of administrators at several hundred four-year colleges as well as the opinions of their staff and 24-member National College Counselor Advisory Board. The annual guide uses students' ratings of their schools to compile 63 lists in various categories. Survey responses from 137,000 students are included in the ratings. Learn more about the methodology.

One of the Nation's Top Business Schools

The Princeton Review accolades are the latest for Bentley and follow a Money magazine honor ranking Bentley a "Best College for Business Majors." Bloomberg BusinessWeek ranked Bentley a top 10 undergraduate business school in the country, and U.S. News & World Report ranked Bentley No. 3 in the "Best Regional Universities-North" category. In that ranking, Bentley was also ranked No. 1 for "Highest Freshmen Retention Rate" and No. 3 for "Best Value." Money also named Bentley to its list of "43 Colleges that Add the Most Value."

Dedicated to Preparing a New Kind of Business Leader

Bentley University is one of the nation's leading business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of business leader with the technical skills, global perspective and ethical standards required to make a difference in an ever-changing world. Bentley's diverse arts and sciences program combined with an advanced business curriculum prepares graduates to make an impact in their chosen fields. The university enrolls approximately 4,000 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students. Master's degree recipients from Bentley's McCallum Graduate School of Business are among the highest paid in the country, ranking #4 in PayScale's College Salary Report.

(Read about one Bentley student's internship at JetBlue)

SOURCE Bentley University