Find your perfect college degree
College students strive to land a job right after graduation. In today’s competitive job market, having job prospects while in school certainly makes a difference.
Incoming college students find it daunting to decide on a major field of interest and the college to attend, but the education and training they offer aren’t all that there is to it; you need to consider the educational institution’s job placement rates as well.
When deciding on the best college to attend, consider factors that will lead you to the right decision as it relates to your college of choice’s job placement programs.
Considering the job challenges graduates face, it is extremely important to pay attention to your college’s job placement help and job placement rates.
Is a College’s Job Placement Rate a Reliable Indicator of its Quality?
“All education and no job” is a standard stumbling block on the resumes of recent graduates. Of course, people still study for the sake of education, but this is less common than it once was due to societal changes in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Students must, unavoidably, choose their fields of study based on societal needs. However, it is not all bad news. Students can return to school and study things “for education’s sake” once they are secure in their lives and are preparing for their future.
Many students enroll in a degree program to land a good job after graduation, which means that many applicants pay close attention to their chosen school’s job placement rate before submitting a formal job application.
Some may believe that placement rate is an important indicator of success because their ultimate goal is to turn their college degree into a rewarding, lifelong career.
While this is partially correct, it is also essential to recognize that a college’s placement rate is only one indicator of its overall quality.
Exploring Colleges’ Job Placement Help, Programs, Rankings
Here are three major components that will guide you in finding the right figures:
Research about your college’s statistics and track record.
Start gathering information by visiting the school’s website. Almost all colleges post readily accessible details on job placement rates, among others. You can also give them a call or schedule a visit. Enrollment advisors are more than willing to help you out, so ask!
Schools have departments dedicated to answering these questions from incoming college and current students. Be sure to obtain job placement data.
Consider external sources.
There are numerous educational magazines, ranking institutions, and third-party sites such as NerdWallet and The Princeton Review that you can use as references. While you may not find the complete information that you need, these platforms are a good place to start.
These rankings are deemed generally reliable because they include data from objective external sources. Reputable schools also showcase their success on visible platforms, including social media and board exam rankings.
Check out employer affiliations.
Because of their proven track record in producing top-performing students in different areas of expertise, some colleges and universities are affiliated with companies. These employers prioritize giving opportunities to graduates of affiliated schools.
15 Top Colleges For Job Placement Help
Here, we list in random 15 colleges and universities offering valuable job placement assistance. We take a closer look at their job placement programs and job placement rates.
Harvey Mudd College
At Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, students get assistance at every stage of their professional development.
The Office of Career Services helps students explore graduate programs, register for internships, and search for jobs.
There are also support activities such as Career Fairs, career development sessions featuring non-alumni and alumni recruiters, mock interview training, and networking workshops.
Acceptance Rate:
- 13.7%
Harvey Mudd College Job Placement Rate:
- 91.67%
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology features a one-stop online-hub called CalTech Career Development Center that is readily available for students with Career Tools such as Networking Tools, Salary Calculator, and Job Hunting Resources.
Pasadena, California-based CalTech, presents the Handshake Platform for Career Development Center recruitment, counseling, and event highlights. It helps connect students easily with potential employers, jobs, internships, and other on-campus recruitment opportunities.
Acceptance Rate:
- 6.4%
California Institute of Technology Placement Rate:
- 91.54%
Stanford University
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top universities, Stanford offers BEAM: Bridging Education, Ambition & Meaningful Work–a student career education hub that connects students with the right people and educational programs.
These connections help them explore career opportunities, identify career paths, and establish networking connections for their professional journey.
The Stanford, California-based university also has an online bulletin containing all information about Stanford’s Career Development Center services such as workshops, on-campus recruitment activities, job and internship databases, and helpful references for their students.
Acceptance Rate:
- 4.3%
Stanford University Placement Rate:
- 97.12%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Considered the best engineering school in the U.S., the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a reputation for producing top performers, especially in engineering, with most of its graduates working in elite companies such as Google, Apple, and Oracle, to name a few.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts’ pride houses helpful resources for job placements and opportunities for students after they graduate.
The school’s Career Advising & Professional Development center assists students in exploring career options and internship opportunities. CAPD is an online one-stop repository for all post-graduate needs and references such as CareerBridge.
Not only does MIT have online resources readily for their graduates; they also produce reputable alumni for referrals and proven track records which makes it easier for students to land high-paying jobs easily.
Acceptance Rate:
- 6.7%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Placement Rate:
- 94.34%
Princeton University
Princeton University has an online Career Services platform easily accessible by students, alumni, faculty, and employers.
In its alumni section, references such as Career Resources for Alumni, Help Students Explore Career Paths, Job/Internship Opportunities, and Refer Potential Employers offer alumni opportunities to help fellow alumni further their careers.
Through the Princeternship option, students can do shadowing work for and gain insight into the current professional life of Princeton alumni. This alumni program is expected to impact the career decisions of current students at Princeton positively.
The university hopes that the professional experiences of its alumni will motivate, inspire, and shape the career journey of its students.
Acceptance Rate:
- 5.8%
Princeton University Placement Rate:
- 87%
Lebanon Valley College
Located in Anneville, Pennsylvania, Lebanon Valley College runs the Adopting Handshake program that, through the LVC Handshake Portal, offers students access to useful career information.
Featured career opportunities include Job and Internship Postings, Events and Fair Registration, Tailored Newsletters, Postings, and Resources.
Also, LVC is set to launch the Edward and Lynn Breen Center for Graduate Success to help students decide on their career paths.
This platform connects students with potential networking opportunities, introduces them to career counseling, and offers professional skill-building activities to make their way around the workplace successfully.
Acceptance Rate:
- 79.6%
Lebanon Valley College Placement Rate:
- 96.19%
Salve Regina University
Salve Regina in Newport, Rhode Island, has an Office of Career Development that empowers students to discover their talents, skills, and capabilities.
The school runs the Handshake platform where students search for job and internship placements based on their field of interest, location, skills, and degrees. The platform also aids students in the creation of their resumes, cover letters, and portfolio.
Salve Regina University also facilitates career programs and networking activities, including Career Connection Nights. This annual networking event features professionals and alumni who share their professional perspectives, career experiences, and success tips.
Acceptance Rate:
- 73.8%
Salve Regina University Placement Rate:
- 95.90%
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, has a career center for undergraduates called “Office of Polar Careers” to assist students in navigating life after ONU.
Polar Career conducts various strategic programs to help students find jobs and internships, seek professional employment opportunities, or enroll in graduate programs.
Polar Careers prompts potential employers to post job openings through Polar Careers powered by Simplicity.
Careers fairs and on-campus recruitment events are conducted along with Emerging Professional Series (EPS), a program that enriches students with “skills for life” for their future careers and overall well-being. EPS is offered during the fall and spring semesters.
Acceptance Rate:
- 70.1%
Ohio Northern University Placement Rate:
- 95.53%
Oregon Health & Science University
The Oregon Health & Science University features a Career and Professional Development Center that operates on four major components: Professional Skill Development, Career Planning, Individual Development Plans, and Student Affairs.
The online platform contains a variety of useful references to help students navigate their professional career options. The student career assistance program also features career opportunities for OHSU graduates.
Acceptance Rate:
- 2.28%
Oregon Health & Science University Placement Rate:
- 95.51%
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges are committed to guiding students post-college. Career Guides such as Graduate School Guide, Interview Survival Guide, Resume and Cover Letter Guide, and Guide to Networking equip graduates with the best possible employment help they need.
In the Geneva, New York school, alumni involvement is evident through the HWS Career Network. In this initiative, volunteer alumni conduct workshops and host events or talks on professional life, career opportunities, mentorship programs, student referrals, and possible internship or entry-level job openings for HWS candidates to inspire their fellow alumni.
Acceptance Rate:
- 66.1%
Hobart and William Smith Colleges Placement Rate:
- 95.45%
University of Sioux Falls
In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the University of Sioux Falls runs its exclusive jobs and internships database known as Purple Briefcase, with over 3,500 job postings.
Through Purple Briefcase, students and alumni may upload their resumes and cover letters and build their portfolios.
This modern platform has a powerful tool that connects students and potential employers as the former applies for full-time and part-time job opportunities and internships.
Acceptance Rate:
- 91.4%
University of Sioux Falls Placement Rate:
- 95.43%
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
The University of Wisconsin in Platteville, Wisconsin, houses an exclusive Career and Professional Development Office for student resources and guidance as they search for jobs. The school also recommends trusted job searching platforms such as Glassdoor, Riley Guide, USAJobs, and ZipRecruiter.
The school maintains its own Pioneer Career Network (PCN), a UW-Platteville platform for employers seeking UW-Platteville talent. It has an annual listing of 10,000 job opportunities, both for full-time and part-time, as well as internships and co-ops positions.
UW-Platteville has accepted candidates through their Student Employment Job Board, a program that allows working students to earn should they fall under the required financial bracket and eligibility.
Acceptance Rate:
- 84.8%
University of Wisconsin-Platteville Placement Rate:
- 95.34%
Endicott College
Endicott College always aims for career-ready students through their “learn by doing” philosophy that the school embraces through its unique Four-Year Internship Program. The program equips its graduates with a strong educational foundation and relevant experience to make way for a fulfilling career journey.
The college’s Beverly, Massachusetts, offers student services such as Career Advising, job opportunities through Handshake, and the Gull2Gull Mentoring Program. With Gull2Gull Mentoring, both students and mentors explore new learning opportunities.
Endicott College’s Career Center collects students’ career aspirations, interest, and extracurricular engagements and match their profiles with the perfect alumni mentor.
The sole purpose of this program is to create a professional partnership between students and alumni for career guidance and professional growth inspiration.
Acceptance Rate:
- 69.3%
Endicott College Placement Rate:
- 95.31%
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska, features an NWU Career Center with a platform that students and alumni, parents and families, and NWU Staff readily have access to.
The Career Center assists students in career exploration; aside from providing job search options, NWU guides students in writing effective resumes and cover letters and helps them ace interviews.
The Nebraska College Recruiting Consortium conveniently offers employers and students and alumni podium across Nebraska’s 9 four-year colleges and universities.
Interested students can access full-time and part-time positions, internships, volunteering programs, and service opportunities.
Acceptance Rate:
- 67.8%
Nebraska Wesleyan University Placement Rate:
- 95.22%
Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University has a Career Development Office for students who wish to explore their future career options. Employers can post job opportunities through QU Career Connections.
Other means of job placement assistance at Quinnipiac include interview sessions for students on campus, development of internship programs, arranging site visits for students, and career fairs to explore their career options.
Also, the Career Development Team conducts several activities and workshops such as Career Boot Camp, Annual Fairs, Mentor Programs, Mock-Interview Days, Corporate Information Sessions, and other activities to improve students’ chances at making it out there professionally.
Acceptance Rate:
- 70.1%
Quinnipiac University Placement Rate:
- 98%
Final Thoughts
The universities and colleges that we’ve listed above cover the general career perspectives related to students’ fields of interest; thus, the types of employment are not specified.
Like many other college graduates in general, some graduates of these universities work outside of their chosen degree. Some are underemployed but work full time.
Did we include the school you have initially chosen or currently attend? Does your college run job placement programs?
