U.S. News & World Report ranked Bentley University No. 3 among regional universities in the North in its latest “2019 Best Colleges” report. Bentley was also named No. 1 for Highest Freshman Retention Rate, No. 3 for Most Innovative Schools and No. 4 for Best Undergraduate Teaching among the regional universities.

“These rankings highlight Bentley’s high-quality faculty, innovative academic programs and the strong return on investment for our students and their families,” said President Alison Davis-Blake. “Bentley’s core business curriculum combined with an emphasis on the arts and sciences leads students towards life-changing opportunities.”

At Bentley, 97 percent of graduates are employed or headed for graduate school within six months after graduation. 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.

U.S. News & World Report highlighted Bentley’s successful approach in a recent story about universities that start career education early. Bentley’s Career Development Seminar for first-year students was cited as an example of how schools can successfully prepare students. In a national survey, 85 percent of first-year students said getting a good job was a "very important" factor in deciding where to go to college.

In naming Bentley to its list of America’s Best Colleges 2019, U.S. News & World Report also honored Bentley in several other categories:
 

• No. 7 for Best Value Schools (Regional Universities- North).
   

• Best Undergraduate Business Programs.
   

• Best Undergraduate Accounting Programs.
   

• Best Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs.
   

• Best Undergraduate Marketing Programs.
   

How the Ranking Was Conducted

The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings are based on 16 metrics of academic excellence: outcomes (35 percent), faculty resources (20 percent), expert opinion including surveys completed by academic leaders and administrators (20 percent), financial resources (10 percent), student excellence (10 percent) and alumni giving (5 percent).

About Bentley University

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. For more information, visit www.bentley.edu.