College grads would rather work at Microsoft over Amazon, Facebook

Maybe it’s the wacky and awesome commercials they’ve been putting out. Or it could be company’s reputation as an impressive charitable organization.

Whatever the reason, college grads seem to want to work at Microsoft over places like Amazon and Facebook.

That’s the finding from Universum USA, a global research and advisory company for employers that recently polled 65,679 college students across 312 universities.

Students from five different field of studies — business, engineering, IT, natural sciences and humanities/liberal arts — were surveyed, and picked Microsoft ahead of both Amazon and Facebook in all but the humanities category.

More than 21,000 business majors were polled and Google took the top spot for the second straight year. Three Seattle companies — Microsoft, Amazon and Nordstrom — made the top 15 among business students:

1. Google
2. Walt Disney Company
3. Apple
4. Ernst & Young
5. Nike
6. J.P. Morgan
7. Deloitte
8. PwC
9. Goldman Sachs
10. KPMG
11. Microsoft
12. Coca-Cola Co.
13. FBI
14. Amazon
15. Nordstrom

Starbucks came in at No. 21 and Boeing at No. 43. From 2012, Microsoft jumped three spots from No. 14 to No. 11, while Facebook dropped from No. 12 to No. 18.

Among engineering students, Boeing came in third, Microsoft fifth, Amazon 28th and Facebook 29th:

1. NASA
2. Google
3. Boeing
4. Apple
5. Microsoft
6. Lockheed Martin 
7. General Electric
8. Walt Disney
9. U.S. Department of Energy
10. Exxon Mobil

And among the IT students, Microsoft finished an impressive second place just behind Google:

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. Apple
4. IBM 
5. Amazon
6. Blizzard Entertainment
7. Intel
8. Facebook
9. Cisco Systems
10. Walt Disney

Universum also found that work/life balance continues to be the top priority for college grads. For full results, click here.

Previously on GeekWire: A giant sucking sound: Seattle startup CEOs say Amazon is sucking up all the tech talent in the city