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Employers come to your university looking to hire students based on so much more than grades. They looks at how well your program is seen as teaching the right things to help you in the work force, do your professors have job connections that can help students, are your professor's research being published and are the personalities of the students at that particular school a great match to the employers company culture. I just graduated and got a great job because of the networking that my college does. I do have a good GPA but out of about 20 or so interviews maybe only 2 employers asked about it. Go to a school 1. on the side of the country that you would prefer to work and 2. where you will be happy because if you are excited to be at that school, you will meet more people and have a better chance to get that better job after.
I know that employers DO look at grades, especially these days because they have a stack of resumes all with degrees and they need some way to weed people out. However I think it matters more if you're looking to get into graduate school. I went to a top tier private school and got considerably lower grades than I would have if I went to some mediocre state school, but grad schools understand the way this works. They said they knew that my GPA meant something different than just the number because of the school I went to and it's reputation for extremely rigorous academics. That's probably why I was accepted with full funding. Now I'm not positive about this but employers probably aren't completely out of the loop and they understand that a lower GPA from a better school means more than a high GPA from an easy school, they know you actually learned something. You are also more likely to acquire useful connections that will help you in the job market and have resources as your disposal to do research or publish or whatever you want to do to help make your resume look better. Better schools open more doors, that's why everyone tries to get into them.
What do employers prefer?
For example, pretend there are 2 people with similar qualities and the only distinction between them is there GPA.
One received a 2.9 from NYU-Stern (8th in the nation for business)
versus 3.9 from the South Florida University (90th in the nation)
What is "better"?
You also have to understand that the relationship between effort and GPA is not linear. The marginal effort required to move from a 3.8 to 3.9 is much higher than from 2.8 to 2.9. So even if NYU Stern is harder, the it's still easier to get a 2.9. The average GPA is around 3.0, so a 2.9 is below average.
What do employers prefer?
For example, pretend there are 2 people with similar qualities and the only distinction between them is there GPA.
One received a 2.9 from NYU-Stern (8th in the nation for business)
versus 3.9 from the South Florida University (90th in the nation)
What is "better"?
I'm going with the stern guy and would look closer at the transcript to make sure that the grades were higher in the classes that would matter in the job I would be hiring this person for.
Then why is it that the average salary at Boston College, NYU, Villanova have average starting salaries of $50,000+ whereas schools like South Florida, Arizona State, etc. have starting salaries of like $30,000+..
I mean if the schools are "easier", wouldn't more students get higher grades which would lead to better jobs with better pay?
What do you think
I would guess that this has to do with connections. Wealthier people go to the "better" schools, and connections with wealthier people likely means more money for the graduate as well. Sort of inertia.
You also have to understand that the relationship between effort and GPA is not linear. The marginal effort required to move from a 3.8 to 3.9 is much higher than from 2.8 to 2.9. So even if NYU Stern is harder, the it's still easier to get a 2.9. The average GPA is around 3.0, so a 2.9 is below average.
I agree with this. Effort steepens greatly with higher GPAs. My thinking is if this guy has the will and work-ethic to excell at one university (pretty much all A's and maybe one B throughout his college career), he would adapt to the environment of the supposedly tougher school, maintaining the same work ethic, and likely not dropping off much in GPA. The harder workload might be counterbalanced by better professors and perhaps a better academic environment, with high quality peer help.
I always respect people with GPAs around 4.0, at my school the average class requires 92% for an A, anything lower is a hit to the GPA. The classes in my major tend to require 95% for an A; so you can miss a handfull of points during the whole semester. Usually only one or two people manage an A, requiring a good deal of independent work beyond what is required in addition to a mastery of what is required. I can't imagine somebody willing to put in this sort of effort dropping to an average to below average GPA.
There are only two ways your college would actually matter.
1) If its Ivy League or well known for its field (IE the Scripps School of Journalism at OU)
2) if it's a regional college with a huge reputation. The whole of NE Ohio worships graduates from Kent, Akron, & Youngstown.
A job applicant will have a harder time convincing a hiring manager on why his 2.9 at his "hard college" is better than a 3.5+ at the "easier college." If that is someone's main concern, then go for the "easier college" and get the higher GPA.
In my opinion, after that first job, your GPA means nothing. You have your foot in the door and no one will ask you your GPA ever again.
In most fields of work, what you learn at school is only a small fraction of what you need for the job. You learn the rest while on the job. In that case, it might be better to go to the "easier college" and get that higher GPA. In some fields of work, having a poor grasp on certain concepts will plague you for your entire career. In those cases, the "harder college" (and hopefully better college) will have prepared you properly.
I skimmed this thread and may have missed it if someone already noted this, but a better (i.e. more prestigious) school does not necessarily translate into more difficult classes or tougher graders; in many cases it actually seems to be the opposite, with some of the top names notorious for their grade inflation.
In any case, I wouldn't choose a college based on perceived ability to get a high GPA. Actually, the only times I've noticed GPA when reviewing resumes is when someone puts it on their resume. For whatever reason, the bulk of people who do that seem to be the ones who have low GPAs. If it's below a 3.5 I think it makes someone look worse than if they just left it off. And those who put their GPA if it's a 2-something? That sends up big red flags about their judgement. For the most part, though, GPAs mostly matter to get into grad school, and perhaps to get that first job out of college (although even then, it's not necessarily important). I think you also have to put them on federal resumes, but I don't know how much they matter.
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