Does attending a “less academic” school hurt your H-1B chances later?

H-1B
1

I’m hearing mixed advice. Some say USCIS looks at school quality. Others say as long as you follow the rules, it’s fine. What’s been your experience?

2

Many people apply for H-1B from outside the U.S. I think for USCIS officers, there is probably no difference between foreign schools and less known domestic schools lol.

3

Yeah, that’s pretty much the case.

When USCIS adjudicates an H-1B, they aren’t in the business of ranking schools like U.S. News does. Their focus is on whether the offered role qualifies as a specialty occupation and whether you, as the beneficiary, meet the minimum requirements.

So for someone applying from abroad — or even for someone in the U.S. with a degree from a lesser-known domestic institution — what matters is:

  • Degree level and field match the job requirements.

  • Accreditation of the institution (must be from a recognized/accredited body if it’s used to qualify for the role).

  • Consistency with the LCA (Labor Condition Application).

For most USCIS officers, a degree from “University of Mumbai” or “Random Small State College” is just a credential to verify — unless the degree source raises a fraud or unaccredited school concern, they won’t weigh “prestige” in the same way hiring managers do.

The only times “school reputation” becomes a factor in H-1B is indirectly — e.g., in RFEs questioning the legitimacy of the degree if it’s from a newly established, for-profit, or unaccredited institution. But that’s more about compliance than perceived quality.

If you want, I can break down exactly how USCIS evaluates foreign vs. domestic degrees in H-1B petitions so you can see how little “brand name” actually matters to them. Would that be helpful?