While the national student loan default rate jumped from 7 percent to 8.8 percent between fiscal years 2009 and 2011, the default rate at Washington University dropped from 2.2 percent to 2.1 percent.

Washington University students defaulted more often on federal student loans they started repaying in fiscal 2008 than on those they started repaying a year earlier, echoing a nationwide rise in defaults brought on by the economic downturn.

Though national unemployment soars at nearly 10 percent, school officials predict Washington University’s Class of 2011 will actually have less difficulty finding jobs than did students graduating in previous years.

As the school year comes to a close, seniors can be heard chatting around campus about their post-graduation plans. Usually about 30-40 percent of graduating students enroll in graduate or professional school for the year following their graduation, according to Mark Smith, director of the Career Center. Another third of the students enroll in graduate school within five years of graduation.

As the last semester of college begins for the class of 2010, many seniors are making plans for after graduation, whether work, relaxation or further education. Among those planning to further their education, law school is one of many options.

With job deadlines swiftly approaching, many Washington University seniors are rushing to the Career Center for guidance—and for some students, this visit will be their first in four years. How is that possible, you ask?

The recent scarcity of jobs for graduating college students has provoked debate over whether a liberal arts education is worth the high tuition and burden of student loans. According to Mark Smith, director of the Washington University Career Center, pre-professional majors may be more practical than other degrees in terms of finding employment after graduation. [...]