Hiring Depth

So as I have started to rank schools in my head and come to terms with my preferences I have been constantly asking myself the same question: how deep into the class at this school will firms hire, what areas can I get a good job, what doors will be closed because of this?

I am consistently finding myself unsure. Is there a big difference between how deep into U of I's class a firm will go and how deep into Cornell's class a Chicago firm will go? Does it pay to spend the extra money? Would Vandy place well in Chicago if I chose to go that route instead of staying in the South like many Vandy grads?

I have plenty of time and of course I will get a large number of rejections which will help narrow the list of schools I need to choose from, but I honestly believe in addition to quality of life factors how deep into classes good jobs hire and where I can work will remain the two top concerns as I decide between schools. Hopefully I will have lots of schools to decide between!