Students walk on the College of the Ozarks campus.

There is a laundry list of considerations students should keep in mind when selecting a college. After you're accepted, it's important to look at both cost and class offerings for the degree or career you hope to pursue, as well as the overall fit of the school. Turns out, not all states are equal in terms of opportunities for students, according to a recent report by WalletHub, a personal finance website. WalletHub looked at the availability of paid internships and student jobs as part of its ranking. To assess student opportunity, WalletHub used data from sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Institute for College Access & Success. The site also considered the unemployment rate for new grads — ages 25 to 35 — as well as the rate of underemployment. It measured the availability of student jobs and paid internships.

"It's sort of like shopping — some people do well in large malls with tons of options, others do well in tiny boutiques," said Barmak Nassirian, director of federal policy with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. "The same goes for learning."

Location, location, location

Location can be a big part of the fit of the school and the experience a student will have. If a student has the luxury of moving away, it's something they should consider, Nassirian said. "Location has all kinds of consequences for any co-curricular activities," Nassirian said. WalletHub's report measured opportunity for those in college by looking at the availability of student jobs and paid internships. Many of the states on the Top 10 list, such as New York and Massachusetts, are home to large cities with opportunities for students and grads. But other states with smaller cities, such as Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia and Maine, rounded out the list.

These are the top states for college students and recent grads State Grant & Student Work Opportunities Rank Maine 1 Massachusetts 2 Minnesota 3 New York 4 Colorado 5 Hawaii 6 Missouri 7 Maryland 8 New Hampshire 9 Virginia 10 Connecticut 11 North Dakota 12 New Jersey 13 Vermont 14 Illinois 15 California 16 South Dakota 17 District of Columbia 18 Wyoming 19 Arizona 20 New Mexico 21 Rhode Island 22 Utah 23 Iowa 24 Nebraska 25 Washington 26 Idaho 27 Oregon 28 Georgia 29 Texas 30 Tennessee 31 Indiana 32 Montana 33 Kansas 34 Wisconsin 35 South Carolina 36 Florida 37 Arkansas 38 Louisiana 39 Michigan 40 Pennsylvania 41 Ohio 42 Mississippi 43 Oklahoma 44 North Carolina 45 Alabama 46 Delaware 47 Nevada 48 West Virginia 49 Kentucky 50 Alaska 51

"It's not always favorable to the cities," Nassirian said. "If you want to become a marine biologist, a rural setting on a coast is where you'll have the greatest opportunities for experiences." Beyond thinking about location, Nassirian advised weighing the output of each school you're considering. Looking at graduation statistics is a good place to start assessing a school's track record. If the graduation rate is high, there's a good chance that the school has a solid program and environment for learning. If the rate is low, that could be a potential red flag, Nassirian said. In the end, students are pursuing a college degree to put what they learn to use, said Nassirian, and so graduating with a degree of value should be a top priority.

Opportunities for recent grads