Post Graduation Survey of Undergraduate Alumni now available
By Diane Crist
Career Development Center
The results of the 2008 Post Graduation Survey of Undergraduate Alumni are in. Each year the Career Development Center administers this survey to provide information to students, employers, faculty, staff and administration regarding activities of recent UST undergraduate alumni.
With the help of Institutional Research and Analysis, the Career Development Center sent surveys by e-mail and mail to 1,149 December 2007 and May-July 2008 graduates. The center collected information on 563 (49 percent) of those contacted.
Often distributed to students in workshops and career counseling sessions, this survey is an excellent tool to convey possible career paths and entry-level salary ranges. Many employers analyze salary information contained in the report as a factor in determining entry-level salaries for the upcoming recruiting season.
Here are some results of the survey:
- The median salary range for this class was $30,001 to $35,000.
- Of those responding to the survey, 57.19 percent reported having an internship while at St. Thomas. This is an increase from 55.45 percent reported in the 2007 survey. Additionally, 21.85 percent are enrolled in an advanced degree program, which is an increase from 18.82 percent in 2007. Aside from those already enrolled, 36.23 percent of last year's class said they plan to enroll within four years of graduation.
Here is the respondents' employment status (percentages are of those who responded to the questions):
- Employed full time – 363 (64.71 percent)
- Employed part time – 82 (14.62 percent)
- Volunteer service – 15 (2.67 percent)
- Military service – 8 (1.43 percent)
- Not employed, currently seeking – 42 (7.49 percent)
- Not employed, not seeking – 51 (9.09 percent)
Data is reported both as a whole and by academic department. The graduates were asked about employment status, when they secured employment, salary range, internship experience, plans for continuing education (including degree sought and field of study) and in what state they reside. A listing of employers and job titles as well as graduate schools and programs also are in the report.
To keep the response rate high for the 2009 survey, departments with newsletters reaching recent alumni are encouraged to inform the December 2008 and May-July 2009 undergraduate class about the upcoming survey mailing in November 2009. Survey respondents will be entered into a drawing for five Amazon.com gift certificates – the grand prize will be worth $100. This year's $100 gift certificate winner was Kalsey Larson '08.
The complete report may be viewed on the Career Development Center Web page. Hard copies of this report as well as previous reports may be requested by e-mailing the Career Development Center, (651) 962-6761.
