Does the name of the university OR ranking of their specialty impress employers more?

Jules A, MSN · Mar 12, 2015

Personally I don't think most people give a rip. Of course those who have paid ridiculous tuition will vehemently defend their alma mater but in my experience it hasn't mattered. As a real stretch I would imagine that if two equally qualified applicants interviewed for the same position and the only difference was a well known school it might tip things however I liken it to the 4.0 students who think they are superior and yet in my experience I have known more than a few people who have said they prefer to hire a B student over an A student.

I guess the bottom line is how important it is to the person. Personally my ego integrity is stable enough that a community college undergrad education served me fine. I have made significantly more money over the course of my nursing career as compared to a friend who went to an impressive school and worked at their well known prestigious teaching hospital and that is what is more important to me.

mooshgigila · Mar 12, 2015

Do you know why they preferred a B student over an A student?

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 12, 2015

I used to work in HR, specifically with hiring nurses and NPs. I very rarely looked at the school they attended. I looked to see a.) A degree b.) A license.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 12, 2015

I feel like there may be a very specific subset of hospitals that care. It's probably the same subset of hospitals that will ask an experienced nurse in a job interview not what patients or coworkers think about you, but what type of research you were involved in on your unit. I'm not sure those are the types of places I'd like to work for - you know, the ones that will pay you less because you should be paying THEM because you get their name on your resume? Totally not worth it.

allnurses Guide · Mar 12, 2015

By my experience it only matters in terms of known bad schools (ie: for profit). The shiny sparkly expensive schools don't seem to get any more consideration than anyone else except by fellow alumni.

mooshgigila · Mar 12, 2015

Thanks, BeachyRN2Be! If you don't mind me asking for more information, what else would you look at, after the license?

mooshgigila · Mar 12, 2015

Makes sense not.done.yet. Thanks!

mooshgigila · Mar 12, 2015

So, calidianya, you mean the specific subset of hospital that care are more research oriented? Is it safe to say the university hospitals are more this way?

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 12, 2015

By my experience it only matters in terms of known bad schools (ie: for profit). The shiny sparkly expensive schools don't seem to get any more consideration than anyone else except by fellow alumni.

Yes, I agree here.

We had a couple blacklisted schools (all were for-profit schools) that I was instructed to disregard resumes that listed them. It was issues with preparedness and nothing to do with the stigma of "for-profit." I've only ever had to check for those schools but regardless of if you went to XYZ Private school, Ivy League, or XYZ State University you all went in the same pile and weren't ranked any differently.

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 12, 2015

Thanks, BeachyRN2Be! If you don't mind me asking for more information, what else would you look at, after the license?

I look for experience. I always look at dates first because we were not too fond of "job hoppers" because we were looking for longevity. Then I would look at which other hospitals a candidate worked for, specialty certs, floor, etc. It's really cursory, I needed just enough info to decide if a first interview was in order. I would say I gave each resume 30 seconds or less depending on how many I had to go through.

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 12, 2015

I do not hire NP's specifically ... but I do work with hiring graduate-level nurses (and undergrads, too).

I believe that it matters in certain situations and not in others. There is no one right answer to this question. A school's reputation can have a bearing on your chances of being hired if your school has either a great reputation or a poor one. If a school is well-known and respected in general, that might help you get an interview (-- after that, it is up to you.) If your school has never been heard of, or has a poor reputation, or is a for-profit school, it might put your application at the bottom of the pile -- given an interview only if there is not much competition and/or there is something else really special to help you stand out.

But most schools fall in between those 2 extremes. In those cases -- in which the school is known and considered OK -- then other factors will weigh much more heavily and the school won't influence the decision much at all.

Also, some people are much more aware of the differences in the quality between schools and others -- and some people who are more likely to be influenced by a "brand name" than others. You never know who is going to be reading your resume and making a judgment about it.

Most people don't put too much weight on those rankings as schools will be rated differently on different lists -- and the rankings change every year. People tend to notice the top schools on the list and that helps the reputations of those schools, but people don't pay much attention to which school is #26 and which is #38.

My advice to anyone considering schools is:

1. Avoid the for-profits and any school that does not have at least a "mid-level" reputation. Don't spend a lot of money on a program that is not going to be respected by people in-the-know.

2. Once you have narrowed your options down to reputable schools ... pick the one that fits your overall needs the best -- and then do your best to make the most of the opportunities they offer. Don't agonize over a few places on any list.

3. Focus on building a resume/portfolio of accomplishments and high-level performance that shows that you are a terrific job prospect. Get the relevant experiences you need. Network within the community of people who will be important to you later, etc.

What you need is a reputable school + a strong record/resume + a positive personality + connections. Keep your eyes on those things and don't get distracted by other things.