(Bloomberg Business) — College degrees are a better investment than ever. But new research shows that investment pays off more in some parts of the U.S. than others.
For a report released this week, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce analyzed job postings on 15,000 websites to see where jobs were most plentiful. Massachusetts, Delaware, and Washington produced the most job ads per college-educated worker, while West Virginia, Rhode Island, and South Carolina produced the fewest.
"If you look at college degrees on average, the numbers on the payoff [for a degree] are very positive and powerful," says Anthony Carnevale, director of the center and one of the report's authors. But the return on investment for a college degree "really depends on not just your major, but also what part of the country you're in."
Some college graduates may be better off packing up for another state if their local job hunt seems fruitless.
Below are the 10 states with the best labor market for college graduates, and who's hiring in each.
Faneuil Hall, Boston
1. Massachusetts
Share of online job ads seeking college graduates: 63%
Number of online job ads for college graduates in Q3, 2013: 94,600
Top jobs: software developers, computer occupations, managers
Employers with the biggest online recruiting presence: Liberty Mutual, Sterling Life Sciences, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, there are 70 percent more online job ads per college graduate than the national average.
See also: Are you achieving your dream career?
Old State House in Dover, Delaware
2. Delaware
Share of online job ads seeking college graduates: 50%
Number of online job ads for college graduates in Q3, 2013: 7,300
Top jobs: software developers, computer occupations, financial analysts
Employers with the biggest online recruiting presence: JPMorgan Chase, Capital One, Christiana Care
Seattle skyline, Washington
3. Washington
Share of online job ads seeking college graduates: 47%
Number of online job ads for college graduates in Q3, 2013: 65,400
Top jobs: software developers, nurses, computer occupations
Employers with the biggest online recruiting presence: Amazon, Microsoft, Providence Health and Services
View of Mount Sneffels Range, Colorado
4. Colorado
Share of online job ads seeking college graduates: 46%
Number of online job ads for college graduates in Q3, 2013: 48,200
Top jobs: nurses, software developers, computer occupations
Employers with the biggest online recruiting presence: Centura Health, State of Colorado, Dish Network
5. Alaska
Share of online job ads seeking college graduates: 37%
Number of online job ads for college graduates in Q3, 2013: 4,900
Top jobs: nurses, medical and health services managers, civil engineers
Employers with the biggest online recruiting presence: University of Alaska, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Providence Health and Services
