Dropping out of grad program and finding technical jobs?

[Silent]

if its an unknown school then I don't know if employers would respect it.

Why wouldn't they respect it? Their mayor concern is whether you meet the requiered qualifications. Sure a prestigious school may be more appreciated by some employers, it surely may help open doors. However the primary concern is qualifications. A well known school in a developing country may very well be less appreciated then an unknown school in a western country where a certain level of qualifications is 'waranted'. Many employers will not even think about hiring someone from a top university as that would be interpreted as paying higher wages and a high risk they can't satisfy the careerwishes of the candidate.

Sure, a top school may help open doors, it makes you stand out, but their are more ways to stand out and get attention from employers. There are all kinds of extracurricular activities and skills you can develop to beat the competition. Distant education combined with an interesting activity like learning Chinese in China may very well do the trick.

Just make sure you don't choose a school where you can 'buy' your diploma but choose one where skills are 'warranted' for the future employer.