Key Takeaways
- According to LinkedIn, Google is the largest employer of college graduates from the most prestigious colleges in the US.
- 58% of hiring managers consider college prestige in hiring decisions.
- College degrees are most necessary for jobs in health care and engineering, according to 80% of hiring managers.
Uncovering America's Top Employers for College Graduates
College graduates face intense competition to secure employment, and many factors can influence their success, including their choice of college and major. To better understand the career paths of college graduates and employer hiring practices, we analyzed LinkedIn data and surveyed 500 hiring professionals and recruiters. We then used our data to identify the top employers of college graduates across the United States.
Top Employers of College Graduates by State
Graduates on the job hunt may have preferences for where they want to live, so we mapped out the top employers of college graduates in each state.
With offices and warehouses nationwide, Google was the top employer of college graduates in 20 states, including 25,000 graduate employees in California alone. Amazon took the top employer spot in five states:
- Pennsylvania
- Indiana
- Arizona
- Alaska
- South Carolina
Other top companies by state were General Motors in Michigan, Walmart in Arkansas, and Microsoft in Minnesota, Washington, and New Jersey. Using these numbers, graduates can choose to try their employment luck in competitive states or find niche jobs in less-represented areas.
Top Employers of Alumni From Prestigious Colleges
Companies large and small are known to have relationships with colleges and universities, and they often dip into these schools' graduate pools when hiring. We researched the top 50 U.S. colleges and identified the companies that seem to have a preference for hiring their alumni; below are the results listed in no particular order.
As the leading employer for 29 of the 50 best colleges in the U.S., Google was the most aggressive hiring entity for graduates of prestigious schools. Google was the top employer for every Ivy League school.
Amazon, on the other hand, was the top recruiter for just three top colleges: University of Florida, Boston University and Northeastern University. The company fared far better in the second and third top employer positions.
Our study also included government entities like the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicating a diverse range of career paths available to college graduates.
Use our flip chart below to browse the top three employers for all 50 of the most prestigious U.S. colleges.
America's Top Employers of College Graduates
Many of the nation's college graduates hail from smaller or niche schools that may not make the top rankings, but their graduates are still in high demand. We did some number crunching and identified which companies hire the most college graduates.
Yet again, Google topped the list with a whopping 117,487 alumni employees. Amazon took the second spot with 53,583, hiring the most graduates among e-commerce companies. Microsoft came in third, employing almost 18,000 graduates in the IT sphere, while Boeing headed up the aerospace industry with a little over 11,000 alumni employees.
The Role of Education in Hiring
Knowing where you can work is great, but landing the job is another thing altogether. We asked hiring managers how important a college degree and school prestige are when it comes to hiring. We also asked college counselors about hiring rates among various majors and the role of alumni networks in helping graduates secure jobs.
Where you attend college can definitely impact your job prospects, as 58% of hiring managers said college prestige plays a significant role when evaluating job applicants. However, 52% of hiring managers felt experience was the most important factor in candidate evaluation. To set themselves apart from other applicants, college juniors and seniors would do well to find industry-related job opportunities and gain some experience.
College counselors also offered insights on the impact of a degree on employability, especially for those with liberal arts degrees or from liberal arts colleges. Counselors admitted that liberal arts graduates may face varying employment prospects depending on factors like the job market and their individual skills. However, counselors advised that liberal arts graduates could enhance their employment opportunities by gaining experience across several fields to highlight their adaptability and widely transferable skill set.
While a college degree can boost your resume in most industries, for some industries, they are practically a requirement. Eighty percent of hiring managers said a college degree was necessary for jobs in health care and engineering, while 67% thought them necessary for legal services jobs and 63% for education. Respondents were split 50-50 on the necessity for a college degree in technology.
Whatever industry you hope to enter, networking also plays a part in the job search. For college graduates, alumni associations offer incredible networking opportunities and can be a big boost for job seekers. Some people associate alumni associations with sports, but they are available to all graduates and serve as valuable resources for internships, career advice, and job opportunities.
Many schools also have career services groups that offer career advice and assistance to students and recent graduates. Career services groups review student resumes, offer interview practice, and conduct career counseling. Career services groups also provide networking opportunities and might even keep student resumes on file for job recruiters.
Lessons Learned
Education remains a crucial factor in the job hunt, and top employers tend to recruit from and consider college prestige when evaluating job candidates. However, other factors like internships, experience, and networking can also significantly impact career opportunities. As new job seekers, college graduates may find it most beneficial to develop a well-rounded profile and not rely solely on their educational credentials. Creating connections and taking advantage of alumni networks and career services groups can also help graduates navigate the professional landscape and secure the job of their dreams.
Methodology
For this campaign, we built a seed list of 443 top U.S. colleges to find out where each graduate currently works and the biggest graduate employers. To do this, we analyzed alumni data on LinkedIn from each university included in our study. If the university appeared on the list of top employers, we omitted it to avoid skewing the data. We also surveyed 500 recruiters and employees with hiring experience, as well as 25 experienced college counselors.
About College Rover
College Rover is a user-friendly tool that helps students quickly evaluate colleges based on personalized priorities. See side-by-side college comparisons and save your searches for future reference so you can make a well-educated decision about where to spend your next four years.
Fair Use Statement
Know a student with future job prospects on their mind? Feel free to share these findings for noncommercial purposes but provide link back to this page so readers can access our full findings and methodology.
