Academics vs. Recruiters: Which Schools Perform the Best?

University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business

The University of Illinois also stands out on this list, with a 3.6 score among academics and a 2.8 average from recruiters. According to Jindal’s research ranking, Illinois is a top 25 school. What’s more, the school is drawing stronger candidates, with average GMATs jumping from 634 to 661 over the past four years (coupled with an average incoming undergraduate GPA of 3.41, which is up .11 over the same timeframe). Despite this, the school is handcuffed by a staid 84.7 placement rate and a $94,751 average starting salary for grads. Clearly, the school has work to do. Judging by its 12 spot jump in the latest U.S. News ranking, the Champaign school is trending upwards.

Other schools with higher scores among academics than recruiters include: USC (Marshall), (-0.4), Ohio State (Fisher) (-0.4), the University of Maryland (Smith) (-0.4), and the University of Florida (Hough) (-0.4). Not surprisingly, Smith and Marshall are top 10 research institutions according to Jindal (with Fisher ranking in the top 20). However, ambivalent recruiter sentiments towards Marshall and Hough are reflected in the schools’ disappointing 80.2 and 83.0 percent placement rates.

Schools 51-100: Who Are Recruiters’ Best-Kept Secrets

Recruiters don’t have time to visit every campus. They focus on schools with the highest return (i.e. where the curriculum and culture historically produce employees who best align with their needs and expectations). And they don’t necessarily seek these candidates out in the top schools, where students are sometimes wined-and-dined.

Instead, they head off to those underserved schools, where they can choose from high performers with even higher ceilings. The University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business is an example. Sporting a 3.3 score from recruiters (equal to Vanderbilt), Katz starts with a stringent screening process, a 27.0 percent acceptance rate to be exact. While their average GMATs and GPAs – 622 and 3.35 – are the norm for a school ranked #52 overall, recruiters know that they’re choosing from the best students in that range. And it shows in the school’s 88.4 percent placement rate.  While Katz’s $84,179 average starting salary doesn’t stand out, the school offers the highest return on investment for first-year graduates according to The Economist.

Alas, schools like Katz see fewer recruiters. Based on recruiter scores, some smaller schools are making a big impression when they do hit campus. To see how schools ranked from 51-100 score among recruiters and academics, click on the next two pages.