Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein has stated that top talent can emerge from universities outside the Ivy League. Blankfein, a Harvard alumnus, highlighted that former Goldman president Gary Cohn attended American University and current CEO David Solomon went to Hamilton College.
Blankfein acknowledged that elite schools generally have a higher average talent pool due to stringent admission processes. However, he argued that at the "tippy top" of the class, graduates from large public universities, such as the University of Minnesota, are at least as skilled, if not more so, than their counterparts from smaller elite institutions. He suggested that students from non-elite universities often overcome greater challenges to reach the top.
These comments are relevant as the value of a college degree is being re-evaluated, partly due to AI's impact on entry-level professional jobs and a rising interest in skilled trades. The academic rigor of higher education is also under scrutiny, with Harvard reporting that approximately 60% of grades are A's, an increase from 40% a decade prior.
Author Malcolm Gladwell has advised prospective college students to choose schools where they are likely to excel and be in the top portion of their class rather than attending a top-tier university where they might struggle.
Conversely, the proliferation of AI-generated résumés has made job applications appear similar, leading some recruiters to prioritize university prestige. A 2025 survey by Veris Insights indicated that 26% of companies recruited from a narrow range of schools, an increase from 17% in 2022. This trend suggests that applicants from top schools or those located near company headquarters may have an advantage in recruitment.