Universium (http://www.universumglobal.com) --a web site focusing on career and employment preferences -- has released the IDEAL Employers for Undergraduates based on responses from 61,726 students. And Apple did very well indeed, as evidenced by the following lists. (In parenthesis is the company’s rank from 2010).

Top 10-- Business:


1.  Google (1)


2.  Apple (8)


3.  Walt Disney Company (5)


4.  Ernst & Young (2)


5.  PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (3)


6.  Deloitte (4)


7.  J.P. Morgan (7)


8.  Nike (10)


9.  KPMG, LLP (6)


10.  Goldman Sachs (9)

Top 10 -- Engineering:


1.  NASA (1)


2.  Google (3)


3.  Boeing (4)


4.  Lockheed Martin Corp (2)


5.  Apple (10)


6.  Microsoft (6)


7.  General Electric (5)


8.  U.S. Department of Energy (7)


9.  Walt Disney Company (12)


10.  Intel (14)

Top 10 -- IT:


1.  Google (1)


2.  Microsoft (2)


3.  Apple (3)


4.  Facebook (new entry)


5.  IBM (4)


6.  Electronic Arts (8)


7.  Walt Disney Company (11)


8.  Amazon (19)


9.  Cisco Systems (5)


10.  NASA (10)

Top 10 -- Natural Sciences:


1.  National Institutes of Health (1)


2.  Mayo Clinic (2)


3.  American Cancer Society (4)


4.  Centers for Disease Control (3)


5.  Walt Disney Company (7)


6.  Peace Corps (5)


7.  Environmental Protection Agency (new entry)


8.  NASA (6)


9.  Google (8)


10.  FBI (9)

Top 10 -- Liberal Arts/Humanities/Education:


1.  Walt Disney Company (3)


2.  United Nations (new entry)


3.  Teach for America (1)


4.  U.S. Department of State (2)


5.  Google (4)


6.  Peace Corps (5)


7.  FBI (6)


8.  Apple (8)


9.  Central Intelligence Agency (7)


10.  Facebook (new entry)

Universium says students seem to be expanding their career search to include employers not traditionally associated with recruiting their major. This can also be noted in the fact that the FBI, Walt Disney Company and Nike all gained popularity among engineering students, while Lockheed Martin, Exxon Mobil Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy fell in the rankings.

“While we’ve noticed the trend of this generation breaking the norm and thinking outside the box when it comes to choosing an employer, it’s never been more evident than in this year’s rankings,” says Roger Manfredsson, global director of sales for Universum.

Among the most interesting shifts, Facebook ranks at number 12 among business students this year and the United Nations comes in at number 17.

“Students are beginning to realize they can apply their skills in any company they choose, from accounting in the United Nations to HR in NASA. This leads to a shift in the top employers among all students, regardless of their field of study,” Manfredsson says. “This is a global shift in the mindset of students; however it’s most evident here in the U.S.  It seems that U.S. students are spearheading this forward thinking and non-traditional approach to their career search,” he adds.

(The graphic is courtesy of Universium and the Austin Business Journal.)