Free Republic

Students graduating from college in spring 2011 faced an odd sort of serendipity. Of course, there have been better years to enter the job market. But at the start of the year, as many companies determined their entry-level hiring budgets, corporate earnings were strong and the economy showed signs of recovery. “Hiring picked up in spring. It was pretty fortuitous,” says Robert Conners, who received a bachelor’s degree in finance and business economics from Indiana University Kelley School of Business in May. Conners signed an employment contract in the fall of his senior year with a firm that wound up...

This year's college graduates have better career prospects than their peers did a year ago—as long as they're looking in the private sector. Employers plan to hire 19% more new graduates this year than in 2010, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. That means students were more likely to have offers as they head toward graduation. Among college seniors who applied for positions, the survey said, 41% had an offer this year, up from 38% last year. (snip) ...some degrees are far more valuable than others. Computer science, accounting, economics and engineering majors were...