Do employers hire you based on what college you graduated from?

Yes, early in your career, employers certainly care about the reputation of your college or university. And this makes sense: they want to get the most talented people they can find, and they don't have a lot of information available to evaluate candidates. As a result, when they're looking at a stack of 250 resumes for 1 position, it can definitely make a difference to have a recognizable university on your resume. The other important factor is that full-time universities often have a "Career Services" department where employers sometimes go to find resumes of prospective employees, and where you can increase your chances of getting a job. These departments are not fool proof, but they are another major advantage over online schools. Online schools are not a bad option if you have no way to pay for school, and no scholarships or loans you can take out, but if you're going straight from high school and a full-time university is an option, it's almost always going to be better for your career to attend one.

Yes yes yes! When I have to hire someone for a junior position, I am always looking at their education first. There are three categories for me: a school I have heard of that I think is a high quality school with high quality students, a schol I have heard of which I think is not a very desirable school to attend, and then all of the schools I've never heard of. You definitely want to be in the first category if I read your resume in a resume screening.

I've never, nor have any of the companies I've worked for, hired based on where a student comes from. That said, I've tossed out applications based on certain schools and past experiences with bad employees. Some schools have a really bad rap for not properly educating their students on the skills they'll need for working in the real world. Other schools have produced very entitled candidates who seemed to think they ran the place from day one (they got fired very quickly).

What's more important is how you sell yourself and your experiences. If I see someone who has consistently been working on a student group and rose to a leadership position, I'll get excited. I'll also get excited by a student who worked while in school (I like hungry people who don't rest on the laurels of completing required tasks).

If you can position your experiences well, it doesn't matter where you went. If you don't have the experiences, than a good school can help.

Many large companies have preferred schools that they recruit from, for lots of reasons. I think you want to ask your potential colleges about their job placement programs for graduates and how many graduates find jobs. Use the resources of the school to help you get a job. It's a hard process and the more help you can get, the better.

I agree with some of the earlier folks that responded. Earlier on in your career, when you may not have as much experience, the university you attended and the reputation it has can do a lot for your career. That being said, I think that if you attend a college that may not be as well known, having great experience (internships, part time jobs, etc.) with reputable companies could be another great alternative. Personally, I attended a big university, Texas A&M. Aside from the reputation the university has, I would also urge you to consider the opportunities that are available to you from an alumni network.