Does it matter if a university is a fourth tier.?

Answer 1

It really depends. It may, it may not. What do you want to do for your career once you graduate?

Some employers, and some fields, really do care which university you attended. They will only hire people out of schools they consider competitive. But the vast majority of employers really don't care. They simply want you to have graduated from a university and have had decent grades and experience.

Likewise, if you want to go on to grad school, your undergraduate school may or may not matter. It depends on the major, how much time passes between the BA and your application for the Master's, and many other factors.

So I'll give you an example. One place where I worked would only hire entry level employees out of competitive schools. You had to have at least a 3.0 GPA in order to even be considered.

But other employers have been much more flexible.

Another example. If you want to be an IT consultant with a major NY consulting firm, you'll need a BS in Computer Science from a well respected program. But if you want to work on a corporate help desk? A lower-tier school is usually fine.

Answer 2

Yes it matters a lot especially if you plan to get a long-term career in the corporate world. Large banks and institutions will only get the cream of the crop when recruiting undergraduates. Also, your intellect will only be challenged if you go to a competitive school.