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.
College: Birmingham Southern College
City: Birmingham
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,600
College: University of Alaska at Fairbanks
City: Fairbanks
Placement Rate: 84%
Median Earnings: $37,100
College: Arizona State University
City: Tempe
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,400
College: University of Arkansas
City: Fayetteville
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $43,100
College: Stanford University
City: Stanford
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $85,700
College: Colorado School of Mines
City: Golden
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $82,100
College: Yale University
City: New Haven
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $83,200
College: University of Delaware
City: Newark
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $55,100
College: University of Florida
City: Gainesville
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $53,100
College: Spelman College
City: Atlanta
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $46,800
College: University of Hawaii at Manoa
City: Honolulu
Placement Rate: 89%
Median Earnings: $43,600
College: University of Idaho
City: Moscow
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $41,000
College: Illinois Wesleyan University
City: Bloomington
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $55,600
College: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
City: Terre Haute
Placement Rate: 97%
Median Earnings: $79,200
College: University of Iowa
City: Iowa City
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $50,200
College: Kansas State University
City: Manhattan
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $43,800
College: Transylvania University
City: Lexington
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $41,700
College: Xavier University of Louisiana
City: New Orleans
Placement Rate: 95%
Median Earnings: $47,900
College: Bates College
City: Lewiston
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $55,700
College: John Hopkins University
City: Baltimore
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $69,800
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
City: Cambridge
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $94,200
College: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
City: Ann Arbor
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $60,100
College: Macalester College
City: Saint Paul
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,300
College: University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
City: University
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $41,100
College: Washington University in St. Louis
City: St. Louis
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $66,300
College: Carroll College
City: Helena
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $43,500
College: University of Nebraska at Lincoln
City: Lincoln
Placement Rate: 96%
Median Earnings: $43,700
College: University of Nevada Reno
City: Reno
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $45,000
College: Dartmouth College
City: Hanover
Placement Rate: 92%
Median Earnings: $70,000
College: Princeton University
City: Princeton
Placement Rate: 89%
Median Earnings: $85,000
College: New Mexico Institute of Mining
City: Socorro
Placement Rate: 86%
Median Earnings: $52,900
College: Columbia University
City: New York
Placement Rate: 88%
Median Earnings: $78,200
College: Wake Forest University
City: Winston-Salem
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $60,200
College: University of Mary
City: Bismarck
Placement Rate: 95%
Median Earnings: $46,200
College: The Ohio State University
City: Columbus
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $43,700
College: Oklahoma City University
City: Oklahoma City
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $40,300
College: Reed College
City: Portland
Placement Rate: 88%
Median Earnings: $37,900
College: University of Pennsylvania
City: Philadelphia
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $82,400
College: Brown University
City: Providence
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $63,100
College: Clemson University
City: Clemson
Placement Rate: 95%
Median Earnings: $50,900
College: Dakota State University
City: Madison
Placement Rate: 94%
Median Earnings: $36,700
College: Vanderbilt University
City: Nashville
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $64,500
College: Rice University
City: Houston
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $64,300
College: Brigham Young University
City: Provo
Placement Rate: 79%
Median Earnings: $56,800
College: Middlebury College
City: Middlebury
Placement Rate: 87%
Median Earnings: $55,600
College: Virginia Military Institute
City: Lexington
Placement Rate: 97%
Median Earnings: $63,200
College: University of Washington
City: Seattle
Placement Rate: 90%
Median Earnings: $54,800
College: West Virginia University
City: Morgantown
Placement Rate: 93%
Median Earnings: $44,800
College: University of Wisconsin at Platteville
City: Platteville
Placement Rate: 97%
Median Earnings: $45,400
College: University of Wyoming
City: Laramie
Placement Rate: 91%
Median Earnings: $46,200
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.