Grads are getting hired, report shows

TALLAHASSEE— Anew study that followed the outcomes of Florida university students who earned bachelor’s degrees in 2015 shows that more than 90 percent of students were working within one year of graduation, with full-time employees earning a median salary of $39,100.

The report, which will be reviewed by the state university system’s Board of Governors next week, was able to match 60,333 graduates of the class of 2015 against employment and education databases, showing outcomes for 53,490 students, or 89 percent of the class.

The employment and education outcomes for the remaining 11 percent of the class, 6,843 graduates, could not be determined.

Of the 53,490 graduates, 70 percentwereworking, 23 percent were working and continuing their educations and 8 percent were attending school within one year of graduation. Of the working graduates, 71 percent had full-time jobs and 29 percent had part-time employment.

“Pursuing a baccalaureate degree does increase life chances,” said Jan Ignash, the Board of Governors’ vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “That’s why people go to school. And I think what this tells is the good news is that they get jobs and lot of them go on for further education.”

This is the third survey of Florida baccalaureate graduates, following a pilot report and an assessment of 2014 graduates. It has become an annual review helping the Board of Governors develop system-wide strategies based on the employment and education outcomes.

Christy England, the associate vice chancellor for academic policy and research who conducted the study, said the data is also aimed at individual universities and the students.

England said the salary data can help students “understand the value of that degree when they get their first job and they don’t know if they are being offered a fairwage or not.”