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<p>In fairness to hawkette, she never said that location was the only factor that mattered, and indeed she stated that its importance varies inversely with the reputation of your school. For example, she mentioned that it was better to graduate from Dartmouth than some average school in NYC (or also presumably some average school in North Dakota). </p>
<p>However, only a tiny fraction of students will ever attend a high-prestige school; the vast majority attend average schools. I strongly suspect that it is indeed easier to find jobs right now if you’re graduating from an average college in North Dakota than one in Rhode Island. {But that doesn’t necessarily mean that today’s high school seniors should prefer the University of North Dakota over the University of Rhode Island, for who knows how the various regional economies will be 4 years into the future.}</p>