A new survey of graduate outcomes on the graduating class of 2014 from over 200 U.S colleges and universities was released last week. Published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, this survey of over 274,000 graduates provides recent, relevant national data on the success of college graduates going into the workforce. Of the 200 institutions included in the survey, University of Utah and Utah State University participated from our state.

Survey Highlights:

• More than half of bachelor’s degree graduates were employed full-time.
• 16.4 percent were continuing their education.
• Those earning degrees in career-oriented majors were most likely to be employed full-time, while graduates in the liberal arts and sciences were most likely to aim for a place in graduate or professional school.
• Approximately 14 percent were still seeking employment; nearly 4 percent were still seeking to continue their education.
• Overall, the median starting salary was $45,478.

Just over 80 percent of bachelor’s degree graduates could point to a positive outcome (employment, self-employment, service, military, or continuing education) within a six month period after graduation. The percentage is even higher for those graduating with an associate degree – 85 percent.

For those graduates employed full-time, the average salary was $48,190 or 48 percent higher than those students graduating with an associate degree ($32,525) and 57 percent higher than Utahns with just a high school diploma. However, one should take the differences between the bachelor’s and associate results with a great deal of caution given the very small numbers represented in the associate degree outcomes.

Bachelor’s Degree Summary Outcomes

Data Source of Interactives: National Association of Colleges and Employers