How does the importance of prestigious national colleges vary by region?

Waco, Texas is quite conservative–even by Texas standards–so that may explain in part the reluctance of students to apply to Northeastern LACs.

With respect to “systemic analysis”, all I can suggest is to contact individual schools for their career placement stats.

Typically, I see questions regarding whether or not a non-elite school outside of the Wash DC to New England region can place graduates into competitive financial employers in the Northeast region so it is nice to read a post concerned with placement in Texas or in the Pacific Northwest.