Employers are narrowing their campus recruiting to a smaller set of target schools and placing renewed emphasis on degrees and GPA, according to recruiting intelligence and industry reporting. A 2025 survey from Veris Insights found the share of companies recruiting from a shortlist rose to 26%, and firms increasingly prioritize proximity and historical ties when building campus pipelines. That selective approach is reflected in business-school placement trends. At Wharton, median MBA pay rose in 2025, but job-offer and acceptance rates slipped for a second consecutive year — evidence of a bifurcated market where those who land roles command high pay while fewer graduates convert interviews into offers. Higher ed leaders should expect intensified pressure on career services and alumni networks; institutions outside target-school lists will face harder sells to employers and must deepen experiential offerings, employer partnerships and measurable ROI to remain competitive in graduate and undergraduate placement.