With colleges and universities facing ongoing questions about the outcomes and preparation they provide, Bentley’s 2014 graduates are proof that an undergraduate degree is a worthwhile investment.

Six months after graduation, 98 percent of the responding class is employed or attending graduate school.

Members of the Class of 2014 were hired by some of the leading companies and organizations in the world, ranging from Apollo Jets and San Diego Padres, to Morgan Stanley, Accenture, Visa, GE Capital, United Technologies, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, VMTurbo, Hewlett-Packard, Ogilvy & Mather, Fidelity, ESPN, and NBCUniversal, as well as all of the major accounting firms.  

Other data from the Class of 2014 includes:

• 60 percent obtained their full-time employment through Bentley-facilitated offerings including campus recruiting, career fairs, referrals and internships
• 29 percent obtained their full-time employment as a result of networking efforts
• Median starting salary increased 4.5% to $52,000
• 314 different employers hired Bentley graduates in 2014

Bentley’s placement rate is based on a 91 percent “knowledge rate.” This refers to the percent of graduates for which Bentley has reasonable and verifiable information concerning post-graduation career activities. Calculating the “knowledge rate” begins with a formal survey of the Class of 2014 (85 percent response rate). Bentley career advisors, who worked closely with graduates to secure employment, then capture additional employment data through direct contact and social media.

Bentley’s “knowledge rate” shows that, 6 months after graduation, 89 percent of graduates are employed and 9 percent are currently attending, or planning to attend, grad school full time – resulting in a placement rate of 98 percent.

Millennials’ Economic Impact
These new members of the workforce will have a major economic impact: by 2025, millennials will make up almost 75 percent of the global workforce and by the end of 2014, one of every three employees in the U.S. will be a millennial. A recent survey from Bentley’s PreparedU Project examined millennials’ attitude toward work. Among the findings: 95 percent of millennials say they’d like to work for an ethical company and 96 percent say great health-care benefits are more important in choosing a job than frequent raises (94 percent) and promotions (82 percent).

Hire Education
Bentley students begin their career exploration freshman year with a Career Development Seminar that’s taught in close collaboration with corporate partners and lays the foundation for a lifetime of career management. During the class, students start to discover their professional path with a personal and career assessment and begin to hone vital career skills during interactive lab sessions where they come face-to-face with corporate recruiters for mock interviews and elevator pitches.

The course lays the foundation for the university’s four-year approach to career services, a program called “Hire Education” which is focused on themes: Explore, Experiment, Experience and Excel. 

Flexible Enough to Advance
The Bentley education model focuses on four key pillars: a curriculum that features a fusion of business and arts and sciences, hands-on learning, technology prowess, and career guidance.  These pillars help students develop a skill set that allows them to identify, create and adapt to change. 

According to Executive Director of Career Services Susan Brennan, “We work closely with corporate partners who tell us over and over again that business skills help our students secure the job at their companies, but arts and sciences provide a context and broader knowledge base that helps these young professionals successfully advance throughout their careers. “