<p>It all depends on what kind of jobs you will be seeking. There are places that could not care less if you have an ivy degree. One from the local university, state teachers programs and the such would give you much more of an advantage. My son’s SO works as a physical therapist at a very prestigious rehab unit and their pay scales are very much linked to the certificates one has. Pay is very good with the right training and the guy from Harvard is paid just the same as the one from local U and the Harvard grad had better have the certification for most of the jobs there just like anyone else. </p>
<p>But, yes, there are places where there are a lot of selective private school grads doing the hiring and where they will all know Weslyan, Williams and Amherst just as well as they know HPY. </p>
<p>My DH’s class mate, the only one from his high school that went on to a selective private school other than DH, went to Swarthmore. Unlike DH who hit the big cities and companies for jobs thereafter, the classmate went back to his hometown and made his way there. He is a teacher. And his degree gave him a big fat zero in getting that job as he basically had to go to the local state u and get certification and eventually a masters to even get his foot into the door in the public venues there. Few people have any idea of the prestige of his UG degree. So it is in many fields.</p>