10 best states for college grad jobs

(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. 

CLICK HERE for the full list of states, ranked from best to worst.

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

See also: The 10 highest & lowest U.S. metro areas for job creation

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

See also: 10 best jobs for 2014 (No. 4 is in insurance)

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

See also: 42 reasons to love being an insurance agent

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