American University or Boston College for jobs after graduation?

Boston College is the safer bet for jobs right after graduation. It tends to carry broader national name recognition, has a very large and unusually loyal alumni network, and places strongly into common first-job paths like finance, consulting, business, education, and nonprofit work. That combination matters when you are looking for both campus recruiting and alumni willing to open doors.

Another differentiator is employer recruiting breadth. Boston College draws a wider range of employers across business-focused and preprofessional fields, while American University’s strongest employment advantages are more concentrated in Washington, DC, especially government, policy, international affairs, communications, and advocacy-oriented work. If your interests are specifically tied to DC internships during the school year, American has a real edge there because location is part of the academic and career ecosystem.

Cost can still change the answer. If American is meaningfully cheaper and you want careers tied to government, politics, public policy, international relations, or communications in DC, that may outweigh BC’s broader edge. But on the specific question of post-grad job prospects across a wider set of fields, Boston College comes out ahead.