We'll continue to support the Job Training Partnership Act, which has a nearly two-thirds job placement rate.

CNN: State of the Union Address

The Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program, or BEST, maintained a job placement rate of more than 80 percent, with 10 percent of those going on to college.

CNN: Commentary: Green way to create jobs, save cities

But purely in financial terms, families can make smarter decisions by zooming in on factors such as net price after aid, graduation rate, job placement rates and how much you might have to borrow.

WSJ: Making Sense of College Aid