There have been plenty of studies that report college
graduates can’t find jobs and employers aren’t satisfied with the skill level
of the grads who do find employment. The National Association of Colleges and
Employers (NACE) would beg to differ.
The association surveyed nearly 500,000 graduates from 2015 and found the majority were either employed
or in grad school within six months of graduation. A greater percentage of 2015
graduates landed jobs than those who graduated in 2014, and fewer accepted
part-time positions.
More than 65% of respondents who earned associate
degrees in 2015 had either found a full-time job or were continuing their education.
The percentage topped 70% of the graduates with a bachelor’s degree who either
had a full-time job or went to grad school.
The graduates also landed better jobs. The survey reported
that the average salary of 2015 bachelor’s grads was $50,219, compared to a
$48,190 average salary just the year before.
The report noted that 76% of computer-science students found employment, with majors in
social sciences, English, and history all improving their employment figures
when compared to the Class of 2014. Graduates from New England and the Plains
states did the best in finding employment after graduation, while respondents
from the Southwest or far West were the least likely to be employed full or
part time.
“Overall,
2015 was a comparatively good year for graduates,” wrote the authors of the
report. “Employment improved and starting salaries were up. A smaller
percentage of the class had not yet found a landing six months after graduation
than had the graduates from the Class of 2014 at the same point.”
