A big placement percentage can mean very different things depending on who was counted and who was left out. This checklist shows you what to ask and where to verify.

A brochure that says “92 percent of our graduates get jobs” sounds like proof a program works. In practice, placement percentages are calculated by the schools themselves, and small changes in definitions can move the number a long way. Before you let a placement rate drive your enrollment decision, work through the checks below.

Why placement claims deserve a second look

• The school controls the math. A job placement rate is generally the number of graduates employed in their field divided by the total number of graduates, but each institution and agency sets its own requirements, calculations and definitions of employment.
• The definitions shift the result. Some agencies count placements in related fields, some only count full-time positions, and some require a certain length of employment before a job counts.
• Survey data can be thin. Most institutions collect information on graduates through surveys, and the time frame can range from recent graduates to people who finished years ago.

None of this means every placement number is dishonest. It means the number is only as good as its methodology, so your job is to ask for it.

Check where the number comes from

• Ask who produced the figure. Federal, state and accredited institutions all measure placement rates, and each group uses its own rules. A rate from a state approving agency is not the same as one from the marketing department.
• Ask which rate you are seeing. Many schools publish two figures. The unadjusted rate is the share of all graduates placed in their field. The adjusted rate divides placed graduates only by graduates who were actively looking for work through career services, which raises the percentage.
• Ask what period it covers. Some schools base the rate on an award year running July 1 to June 30 and calculate it the following January, which gives end-of-year graduates time to find work. A number built that way is not directly comparable to one built differently.

Check who was counted and who was left out

• Get the denominator. A rate means little without knowing how many graduates it represents. Ask how many graduates the statistic covers; a rate based on four people is not the same claim as one based on four hundred.
• Ask what “placed” includes. Does it mean employed, enrolled in graduate school, or both? Does the job have to be in the field of study, or does any job count?
• Know the standard exclusions. Under the federal formula for short-term programs of 300 to 600 clock hours, graduates count only if they found work in the recognized occupation, or a related comparable one, within 180 days of receiving their credential and were employed for at least 13 weeks. Graduates who continued their education at least half-time, or whose medical condition prevents employment, are treated as not available and left out.
• Watch for the adjusted-rate exclusions. Schools that adjust their rates may also drop graduates who declined to use career services, chose not to pursue a required license, could not be contacted, or were employed but the school could not verify it.

Check how graduates were actually contacted

• Ask about the survey method. Mail, phone, email and social media each reach different people. Graduates who cannot be reached typically fall out of the denominator entirely.
• Ask how employment is verified. A graduate who reports a job on a survey is not the same as one whose employment the school confirmed with an employer.
• Ask how many responses came back. If the response rate is low, the advertised percentage may rest on a small, self-selected group.

Check the claim against federal data

• Use the College Scorecard. The Department of Education’s College Scorecard publishes data on completion, debt and repayment, and earnings, which you can compare against the school’s own marketing. See how to use it in our College Scorecard guide.
• Know what the Scorecard measures. Its field of study median earnings reflect people who received federal financial aid, completed an award, and were working and not enrolled during the year measured, which is the fourth full year after completion.
• Compare against national patterns. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that among 20- to 29-year-olds who received a bachelor’s degree in 2024, 69.6 percent were employed, along with 78.1 percent of recent associate degree recipients and 74.7 percent of recent advanced degree recipients. A program claiming far higher employment than these broad figures should be able to explain why.
• Check wages for the occupation. The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program produces employment and wage estimates for roughly 830 occupations at the national, state and metropolitan level, which helps you test any salary figure the school advertises.

Questions to get answered in writing

Bring this list to your admissions meeting and ask for the answers in writing; our guide to questions to ask admissions covers how to do that.

• Which rate is this, adjusted or unadjusted, and what is the exact formula?
• How many graduates are in the calculation, and from which award year?
• Does “placed” mean employed, in graduate school, or both?
• Must the job be in the field of study, and full-time or part-time?
• How many days after graduation are counted, and is there a minimum weeks-worked requirement?
• Which graduates were excluded, and why?
• How were graduates contacted, and how was employment verified?

If a program leads to a license, employment claims carry extra weight, since you cannot work in the field without passing the licensure step; see our article on licensure programs before you rely on any placement figure.

Red flags in placement and salary marketing

• No methodology available. If a school cannot or will not explain who was counted, treat the number as marketing.
• Only an adjusted rate in the ad. A high percentage that quietly leaves out non-responders and non-seekers is not a claim about all graduates.
• “Placed” used vaguely. When continuing your education counts as placement, the rate is not a job rate.
• Salary promises built on placement data. Schools can describe what graduates earned, but no school can promise you a job, a salary or admission; our careers-and-outcomes guides stick to what federal data shows for that reason.

Adviser’s tip: Ask for the placement report itself, not just the headline percentage. A written report with the numerator, denominator and exclusions tells you far more than any percentage on a billboard.

Readers ask

What is a job placement rate?

It is generally the number of graduates employed in the field they trained for, divided by the total number of graduates from a program. The details vary: some schools count related fields or part-time work, and some count continuing education as a placement.

Why do some schools report two placement rates?

Many schools calculate both an unadjusted rate, which uses all graduates, and an adjusted rate, which leaves out graduates who were not seeking work, kept studying, or could not be reached. The adjusted rate is almost always higher, so ask which one is in the ad.

Where can I check a school’s claims independently?

The Department of Education’s College Scorecard publishes completion, debt and earnings data by institution and by field of study, based on federal records rather than school surveys. Its field of study median earnings are measured in the fourth full year after completing an award.

Does the federal government verify every school’s placement rate?

No. Most institutions collect placement data through their own graduate surveys, and definitions of employment, time frames and counting rules differ by school and agency. That is why it pays to ask how the number was produced.

Admission rules, accreditation status and licensing requirements change. This guide is general information for students in the U.S.; confirm the details with the school, its accreditor or your state licensing board before you enroll.