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50 Best Schools (by State) for Getting a Job

Written by Jasmyne Moody, Staff Writer | May 9, 2018 9:50:00 PM Z

The question isn’t why college  it’s which college. Most people get an education to get a job. Not just any job, but one that establishes a career path in something rewarding that earns a good salary. At least that’s the dream. When researching schools, look for the right college to help you reach your career goals.


Finding the right college means looking at a variety of factors to make your time there comfortable and effective. Students often select colleges for several reasons, including the community surrounding the college, its available courses, access to amenities and attractions, the location of the college and costs. But one factor often overlooked when deciding which college to attend is the job placement rate. According to Bloomberg Businessweek in an analysis of the best business schools, job placement rates include the percentage of students who got a job in the field or related field the student was trained in.

 

 

Job placement rates are important and should influence your decision to choose a college, because it helps to determine the likelihood of being able to acquire gainful employment after graduation. However, it’s important to note job placement numbers can be misleading or confusing if interpreted incorrectly.


Based on information collected from the College Scorecard, IPED and Niche  including employment rates two years after graduating and median earnings after six years  here are some of the top colleges for getting a job in each state.

 

 

1. Alabama

College: Birmingham Southern College

City: Birmingham

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $45,600

2. Alaska

College: University of Alaska at Fairbanks

City: Fairbanks

Placement Rate: 84%

Median Earnings: $37,100

3. Arizona

College: Arizona State University

City: Tempe

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $45,400

4. Arkansas

College: University of Arkansas

City: Fayetteville

Placement Rate: 92%

Median Earnings: $43,100

5. California

College: Stanford University

City: Stanford

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $85,700

6. Colorado

College: Colorado School of Mines

City: Golden

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $82,100

7. Connecticut

College: Yale University

City: New Haven

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $83,200

8. Delaware

College: University of Delaware

City: Newark

Placement Rate: 96%

Median Earnings: $55,100

9. Florida

College: University of Florida

City: Gainesville

Placement Rate: 92%

Median Earnings: $53,100

10. Georgia

College: Spelman College

City: Atlanta

Placement Rate: 94%

Median Earnings: $46,800

11. Hawaii

College: University of Hawaii at Manoa

City: Honolulu

Placement Rate: 89%

Median Earnings: $43,600

12. Idaho

College: University of Idaho

City: Moscow

Placement Rate: 92%

Median Earnings: $41,000

13. Illinois

College: Illinois Wesleyan University

City: Bloomington

Placement Rate: 96%

Median Earnings: $55,600

14. Indiana

College: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

City: Terre Haute

Placement Rate: 97%

Median Earnings: $79,200

15. Iowa

College: University of Iowa

City: Iowa City

Placement Rate: 96%

Median Earnings: $50,200

16. Kansas

College: Kansas State University

City: Manhattan

Placement Rate: 94%

Median Earnings: $43,800

17. Kentucky

College: Transylvania University

City: Lexington

Placement Rate: 94%

Median Earnings: $41,700

18. Louisiana

College: Xavier University of Louisiana

City: New Orleans

Placement Rate: 95%

Median Earnings: $47,900

19. Maine

College: Bates College

City: Lewiston

Placement Rate: 94%

Median Earnings: $55,700

20. Maryland

College: John Hopkins University

City: Baltimore

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $69,800

21. Massachusetts

College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

City: Cambridge

Placement Rate: 92%

Median Earnings: $94,200

22. Michigan

College: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

City: Ann Arbor

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $60,100

23. Minnesota

College: Macalester College

City: Saint Paul

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $45,300

24. Mississippi

College: University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)

City: University

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $41,100

25. Missouri

College: Washington University in St. Louis

City: St. Louis

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $66,300

26. Montana

College: Carroll College

City: Helena

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $43,500

27. Nebraska

College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln

City: Lincoln

Placement Rate: 96%

Median Earnings: $43,700

28. Nevada

College: University of Nevada Reno

City: Reno

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $45,000

29. New Hampshire

College: Dartmouth College

City: Hanover

Placement Rate: 92%

Median Earnings: $70,000

30. New Jersey

College: Princeton University

City: Princeton

Placement Rate: 89%

Median Earnings: $85,000

31. New Mexico

College: New Mexico Institute of Mining

City: Socorro

Placement Rate: 86%

Median Earnings: $52,900

32. New York

College: Columbia University

City: New York

Placement Rate: 88%

Median Earnings: $78,200

33. North Carolina

College: Wake Forest University

City: Winston-Salem

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $60,200

34. North Dakota

College: University of Mary

City: Bismarck

Placement Rate: 95%

Median Earnings: $46,200

35. Ohio

College: The Ohio State University

City: Columbus

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $43,700

36. Oklahoma

College: Oklahoma City University

City: Oklahoma City

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $40,300

37. Oregon

College: Reed College

City: Portland

Placement Rate: 88%

Median Earnings: $37,900

38. Pennsylvania

College: University of Pennsylvania

City: Philadelphia

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $82,400

39. Rhode Island

College: Brown University

City: Providence

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $63,100

40. South Carolina

College: Clemson University

City: Clemson

Placement Rate: 95%

Median Earnings: $50,900

41. South Dakota

College: Dakota State University

City: Madison

Placement Rate: 94%

Median Earnings: $36,700

42. Tennessee

College: Vanderbilt University

City: Nashville

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $64,500

43. Texas

College: Rice University

City: Houston

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $64,300

44. Utah

College: Brigham Young University

City: Provo

Placement Rate: 79%

Median Earnings: $56,800

45. Vermont

College: Middlebury College

City: Middlebury

Placement Rate: 87%

Median Earnings: $55,600

46. Virginia

College: Virginia Military Institute

City: Lexington

Placement Rate: 97%

Median Earnings: $63,200

47. Washington

College: University of Washington

City: Seattle

Placement Rate: 90%

Median Earnings: $54,800

48. West Virginia

College: West Virginia University

City: Morgantown

Placement Rate: 93%

Median Earnings: $44,800

49. Wisconsin

College: University of Wisconsin at Platteville

City: Platteville

Placement Rate: 97%

Median Earnings: $45,400

50. Wyoming

College: University of Wyoming

City: Laramie

Placement Rate: 91%

Median Earnings: $46,200

Final Thoughts

The next time you're looking for a college to attend, consider its job placement rates. It's key to pay attention to this number, because it will give you valuable insight into which schools may provide you with the best potential to get a job when you graduate. If you want to dive even further, analyze your path based on millions of others with your digital career counselor