You may not know much about Bentley University, but know this: the small school in Waltham, Massachusetts has been rising up the ranks of the nation's business colleges. The university's curriculum places special emphasis on technology as well. The school has its own trading room, complete with dual-screen monitors and Bloomberg terminals, to train nearly 4,000 undergrads and about 1,200 graduate students in trading, portfolio construction, corporate finance and risk management.

Bentley's career services office excels at placing students in practical internships, and in a move that sets it apart from most colleges, it publishes detailed, major-specific career outcomes of its graduates for current students to consider while in school. The business coursework and hands-on experience often result in higher-paying jobs for graduates, whose typical annual earnings surpass $111,000 in the decade after graduation.

In their off-hours, Bentley students can indulge in the nightlife and culture of nearby Boston, only a 30-minute drive away. One of the most popular events on campus each term is "Super Bingo" (once named "Greedy Bingo"), in which students can win prizes, like tickets to an Ariana Grande concert, AirPods or a new iPhone. Students also have the opportunity to see big-name artists perform during the annual Spring Day event, which has featured Khalid, Tyga and T-Pain in the past.