Why Your College’s Location Matters More Than You Think For Career Outcomes

Originally posted on Forbes.com.

This week, The Wall Street Journal reported a headlining trend in the U.S. job market landscape: amidst greater demand and increased competition for entry-level positions, recruiters are deliberately seeking name-brand and elite colleges on applicants’ resumes. Prestigious institutions are only further cementing their reputation for post-graduation professional success—and students who will be entering the college admissions process in the coming cycles should take note.

But the reporting also included a less flashy—and arguably more consequential—insight from recruiters: beyond name-brand colleges, more and more, employers are looking for applicants within their region. This means that when choosing a college, students should not only consider the institution’s reputation; they should also consider its location.

Although companies are largely returning to in-person or hybrid models, many are disinclined to offer relocation packages for entry-level jobs, where turnover is high, and onboarding comes with significant costs. Hiring locally not only allows recruiters to develop relationships with educational institutions in their region, but also reduces the costs associated with hiring across vast geography.

This geographic preference has far-reaching consequences for how students should think about their college decisions. Typically, students focus solely on the rigor, rankings, and prestige of a particular program within their discipline; though these factors remain important, they should not be a student’s sole motivation for applying or choosing an institution. Rather than viewing a college’s location only in light of their preferences (i.e. whether they prefer a small town or a big city, if they like the outdoors, or they want to be close to home), applicants should view geography as a significant part of how a college can equip them to reach their ultimate professional goals. Approaching college location with long-term vision is particularly important given that, according to a recent study, “on average, about half work in the same metro area as their college, while two-thirds work in the same state.”

Students attending college in or near major hubs for their particular field benefit from sustained exposure to professional ecosystems long before graduation. A computer science applicant, for instance, should consider applying to numerous schools near Silicon Valley rather than hedging their bets at Stanford alone. Likewise, a student who wants to get into politics should prioritize schools in the D.C. metropolitan area over schools with similar reputations in other locales. Doing so will open up opportunities for students to develop a professional network, intern in their field (both during the academic year and in the summer), attend employer events, familiarize themselves with professional options after graduation, and work part-time in related fields as they pursue their degree.

By contrast, students at equally rigorous institutions located far from major job markets often face disadvantages in the job market, regardless of their skills, qualifications, or flashy resume line items. Fewer nearby internships, limited on-campus recruiting, and the financial burden of relocating for short-term opportunities can all restrict early professional development.

This does not mean that students must attend college in major metropolitan areas like New York, San Francisco, or Washington, D.C. in order to succeed professionally after graduation. However, it does mean that geography should be treated as a strategic consideration rather than an afterthought in the college application process. Colleges located near regional industry centers—whether in healthcare, finance, technology, media, or government—are likely to offer students advantages that rankings and prestige alone fail to capture.

As recruiters narrow their focus and hiring pipelines grow more competitive, navigating the path from college to career requires more long-term strategy than ever before. College admissions and enrollment are the first steps students will take in the long-term pursuit of their professional goals. As such, high school students should start early to tactically consider how their college prospects—including their reputation, academic offerings, and local resources—will equip them for future success in their fields.