There’s no tougher choice for those fresh out of high school than deciding where to go to college. Is looking at colleges with best job placement rates the best way to pick one?
As we all know, attending an out-of-state college can be extremely costly, so this should probably be one of the first things to consider, right after becoming familiar with the majors available, housing options, etc. The job placement rate should come into play only after all other basics are covered.
With that in mind, here’s the list of 30 vital statistics on this topic:
Key Statistics on Colleges with Best Job Placement Rates
- Quinnipiac University has a job placement rate of 96.1%.
- Pennsylvania State University has a job placement rate of 94%.
- Harvard University has a job placement rate of 89%.
- Princeton University has a job placement rate of 87%.
- The unemployment rate for Theology and Religion majors is 1.5%.
- The unemployment rate for Medical Technicians is 1.1%.
- 86.5% of those earning an undergraduate degree from Michigan Ross find work right after graduation.
- 92% of those earning an MBA from Harvard Business School find work.
General College Graduate Employment Statistics
1. Bachelor degree holders earn around 65% more than those with a high school diploma.
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Those with a bachelor’s degree earn around $1,334 every week. On the other hand, individuals with a high school diploma earn around $809, which translates to roughly 60% of the bachelor degree holder’s salary.
2. 72% of millennials aged 25–32 say their degree has already paid off.
(Pew Research Center)
The majority of millennials who have earned a college degree report that their degree has already paid off, and another 17% believe it will pay off soon. Based on the data from the largest colleges in the US, 58% of recent graduates were able to find a job quickly, while 42% were still searching three months after graduation.
3. Between 1989 and 2019, the average wage for young college grads grew by just 13.9%.
(Economic Policy Institute, Fox Business)
The average pay for recent grads is practically where it was in 2000. However, the average salary for those fresh out of college is $51,347, just 2% higher than last year. Job placement in college is not the only thing to worry about.
4. Recent male graduates earn more than their female peers.
(Economic Policy Institute)
The wage disparity in the US remains a significant issue. Even though the average salary for men and women alike inched upwards from 2000, men’s wages rose faster, resulting in the gender wage difference for young college graduates growing from 10.7% to 12.9%. Moreover, college job placement statistics related to wage disparity also show that young black college graduates earn, on average, 12.2% less than white college graduates.
5. Only 35% of jobs in the US economy require at least a college degree.
(Georgetown, US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
This stat can be slightly discouraging for those trying to decide whether going to college is worth it. In 2022, 50.6 million job opportunities are expected to be available, while only 27.1% will need college degrees. That’s an estimated increase of only 2.1% points since 1996. For the period between 2019 and 2022, 3,898,000 new college graduates will enter the workforce in the United States, many of whom will, sadly, be underemployed.
Colleges With Best Job Placement
6. Quinnipiac University has a job placement rate of 96.1%.
(Zippia, Quinnipiac University)
Quinnipiac University, located in Connecticut, is a private university that offers students various degrees in business, engineering, communications, liberal arts, sciences, health sciences, nursing, education, social work, law, and medicine. About 97.5% of Quinnipiac graduates were either employed or in advanced education programs six months after graduation, making it the first on the list of colleges with best job placement rates in the US.
7. Augustana University has a job placement rate of 96.05%.
(Zippia, Augustana University)
Up to 96% of graduates from Augustana University in South Dakota who are looking for work are managing to find employment in a position related to their major or preferred field. Additionally, 26% of those graduating with a bachelor’s from this university are pursuing grad school or continuing education.
The most prominent majors at Augustana College are Nursing, Biology, Business Administration and Management, Elementary Education, and Psychology.
8. Ohio Northern University has a job placement rate of 95.86%.
(Zippia, Ohio Northern University)
Third on the list of the best colleges to get a job after graduation is Ohio Northern University. This university runs various programs to support students in finding employment and internships, pursuing professional employment opportunities, or enrolling in graduate programs. Results from the most recent survey show that these programs have placed 97% of graduates in jobs within six months of graduation.
9. Lebanon Valley College has a job placement rate of 95.63%.
(Zippia, EAB)
Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania also helps students decide on their career path via its various programs. As a result, 88% of its graduates are either presently employed or enrolled in graduate school.
Regarding the infamous “What percent of college graduates get jobs in their field” question, Lebanon Valley College proudly announced that 91% of the employed graduates from this school reported that their work is related to the degree they’ve obtained.
10. Stonehill College has a job placement rate of 95.83%.
(Zippia, Stonehill College)
90% of Stonehill College graduates are either employed, offered employment within six months of graduation, or attending graduate school. What makes this institution one of the colleges with best career placement services is the fact that it provides various learning opportunities, including a liberal arts curriculum, local and international internships, and career mentorship.
Read more: Best Language Learning Software in the US
11. Marquette University has a job placement rate of 95.55%.
(Zippia, Marquette University)
85.6% of the employed graduates from Marquette University succeed in finding work in the university’s home state — Wisconsin, while 10.8% go to graduate school. Overall, 97.9% of all students either start their own businesses, find work, or are in graduate school or military service, according to college job placement statistics.
12. Providence College has a job placement rate of 95.28%.
(Zippia, Providence College)
The number of individuals with internships before senior year is as high as 94% for Providence College, Rhode Island. Moreover, 89% of alumni who work full-time say they are working in their desired field, and 81% report they are somewhat or very satisfied with their positions. It’s also important to note that 31% of college graduates do internships.
13. Penn State University has a job placement rate of 94%.
(Niche)
When it comes to Ivy League schools, job placement numbers are somewhat surprising, to say the least. Penn State job placement statistics show that 94% of graduates from this college find full-time employment within two years. However, the number of employed Penn State graduates drops four years later, as 92% of them have full-time jobs six years after earning their degree.
14. Harvard University has a job placement rate of 89%.
(Niche, US News)
This university boasts some of the best college graduation rates and a 5:1 student-faculty ratio. In addition, it’s one of the top placement universities in the USA for MS. Some of the most popular majors are Biology, Mathematics, Computer and Information Sciences, Social Sciences, Engineering, and English.
15. Princeton University has a job placement rate of 87%.
(Niche)
Admission at Princeton is pretty strict as it accepts just 6% of all applicants. However, Princeton job placement rate data is working against the school. While 94% of students are confident they’ll find work in their field after earning a degree, just 87% of graduates find a job within two years after graduation.
Job Placement Rate by Major
16. Theology and Religion majors face an unemployment placement rate of 1.5%.
(Stacker)
Some sacrifices come with a high job placement rate for Theology and Religion majors; the median starting pay is just $34,000, while the median mid-career wage sits at $50,000. While the unemployment rate is almost at the point of statistical error, underemployment for those in this field is a different story: 47% of Theology and Religion majors work in positions that don’t require a degree.
17. Medical Technician majors face an unemployment rate of 1.1%.
(Stacker)
Fortunately, Medical Technician employment rates are growing. The median career income is $68,000, with a starting median of $45,000. Statistics on college graduates vs non-graduates show that 52% of those with a degree in this field are underemployed.
18. Early Childhood Education majors face an unemployment rate of 1.4%.
(Stacker)
Early childhood education, which includes work in early childcare, kindergarten, or elementary school teaching, as well as pre-school and daycare education, has a fairly low starting median annual pay, at $34,000. The median career wage sits at $40,200. On the other hand, underemployment is not as big of an issue as with the other majors listed, with a relatively low rate of 19.6%.
19. General Education majors face an unemployment rate of 1.7%.
(Stacker)
With one of the more admirable job placement rates, an unemployment rate of 1.7% and an underemployment rate of 22.6%, General Education is considered a safe choice for career and job stability. The starting median for this profession is $36,000, while mid-career median pay reaches $47,000.
20. Civil Engineering majors face an unemployment rate of 1.5%.
(Stacker)
When it comes to college job placement rankings, engineering is one of the fields to be in. That also applies to civil engineering. Those graduating with this degree can expect to find work with ease, and they are unlikely to face underemployment (rate of 19.2%). Working in this field pays well; the starting median pay is at $60,000, while the mid-career median sits at $90,000.
Best Undergraduate Business Schools Job Placement Numbers
21. 86.5% of US students of The University of Michigan Ross received a job offer right after graduation.
(Michigan Ross)
86.5% of US citizens who’ve earned a BBA from Michigan Ross were offered full-time employment last year. Also, the job placement after college statistics show that 75% of them accepted jobs on the West Coast, East Coast, or Chicago right after graduation.
22. 97% of 2020 Clarkson University graduates got hired, joined the military, or entered graduate school in six months.
(Clarkson)
This New York-based private school can be proud of the fact that 97% of its graduates secured full-time employment or joined the military, or entered graduate school after obtaining a degree. Their average starting salary is $64,384; the real money comes in after grad school, as you’ll find out in the next section of this text.
23. The University of Pennsylvania-Wharton has a job placement rate of 96.8%.
(MBA Careers)
The Penn State Engineering job placement rate (and the average starting salary for Penn State engineers) is one of the things this university is famous for. However, its business department at Wharton shows even more impressive numbers; 96.8% of undergraduate degree holders find full-time employment, with a median annual base salary of $155,000.
24. The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign has a job placement rate of 91%.
(Illini Success)
The University of Illinois is one of the colleges with the best career services. More than 90% of its undergraduates are either employed, volunteer, or continue their education after graduation. Those who find full-time work after getting a degree in business earn $65,000 a year.
25. University of California Berkeley Haas has a job placement rate of 77%.
(Berkeley Haas)
77% of those who earn an undergraduate degree from the prestigious Haas school can find full-time employment three months after graduation. Most Haas school graduates tend to enter the technology (26%) and the finance industry (22%).
Best Graduate Business Schools Job Placement Numbers
26. Booth School of Business (University of Chicago) has a job placement of 92.8%.
(Chicago Booth)
What percent of Booth School of Business college graduates get jobs in their field? According to the most recent data, 92.8% found a job three months after graduation. Furthermore, 455 different companies hired MBA students for full-time jobs.
27. The Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania) has a job placement rate of 96.8%.
(Wharton)
Three months after graduation, 96.8% of graduates from the famous Wharton School of Business are able to find jobs in their field of studies. In addition to being graduates of one of the best job placement schools in the US, Wharton alumni make an average of $155,000 after graduation.
28. Sloan School of Management (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) has a job placement rate of 95.9%.
(MIT Sloan)
With degrees in Management, Business Analytics, and Finance, 95.9% of the Sloan School of Management graduates find work three months after graduation. As job placement rates by university point out, they have a median base salary of $150,000.
29. Harvard Business School has a job placement rate of 92%.
(Harvard Business School)
Unlike the university’s undergrad programs that just don’t keep up with the competition, Harvard’s Business School manages to keep a high job placement rate. In fact, 92% of the graduates who have sought employment received a job offer. College job placement rankings have a median base salary of $150,500.
30. Stanford Graduate School of Business has a job placement rate of 96%.
(Business Because)
Finance was the most popular industry for MBA graduates, as 33% joined this sector. The school has a variety of business programs, including the full-time Stanford MSx program (one-year master’s) and one of the world’s best two-year MBAs, together with excellent graduate placement services.
Conclusion
We must take into consideration that the coronavirus pandemic has vastly influenced the way student graduates find employment. Still, it’s evident that young people don’t give up on education.
With thousands of options available, picking the right college to attend is more than a tricky ordeal. We hope that this list of colleges with the best job placement rates helps prospective students make the right call.
Nevertheless, students should primarily choose their field of study based on their interests and budget, as colleges can be costly.