DePaul graduates from the class of 2015 have one of the best career outcome rates in university history, according to a recently released report from the Career Center in Enrollment Management and Marketing. The 93 percent career outcome rate means that only 7 percent of graduates are still seeking employment within 6 months of graduation.
The career outcome rate is defined as the percentage of those who graduated with bachelors and masters’ degrees in a calendar year who were employed, continuing education or not seeking employment or further studies. The 2015 rate is a notable improvement over last year’s 88 percent. The 5 percentage point increase is even more impressive when you consider it is driven almost entirely by improved rates of employment, explains Gillian Steele, executive director of the Career Center.
“DePaul graduates are prepared to contribute immediately, and in meaningful ways, to the workforce,” says Steele. “This class’ career outcomes are a clear demonstration of how the marketplace values a DePaul education.”
Several other highlights from the class of 2015 include:
- Full-time salaries for bachelor’s recipients rose by 10 percent over last year.
- Eighty-five percent of bachelor’s recipients working full-time are in jobs related to their degree.
- Graduates found employment at a wide and diverse range of employers. Ninety-four percent of Chicago’s largest publicly held companies, 64 percent of the largest privately held companies, and 70 percent of the companies ranked as the best places to work recruited DePaul graduates.*
Robust Knowledge Rate Leads to Richer Data
To collect outcome information, graduates are surveyed at graduation and again six months after degree completion. In addition, data from public records is gathered via LinkedIn. Between these sources, the Career Center was able to collect information on 86 percent of the 6,500 bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients from the class. This knowledge rate, or the percentage of graduates for whom the Career Center has knowledge of their first-destination career outcomes, allows for deeper, more thorough analysis.
“With our knowledge rate, we get an incredible amount of information to work with,” explains Steele. “This allows us to analyze the data by college and program, as well as by some key demographics. With that level of detail, we are able look at our services and resources and make even more strategic decisions about how we can best serve our students.”
For example, the Career Center has developed specific programs for populations that are less likely to have an internship while in school. One such program, Internship Plu$, provides financial support for students wishing to do an unpaid internship but who could not otherwise afford to do so, allowing them more opportunities to gain the experience that will help them secure employment after graduation.
If you would like more information about the Career Center’s services, visit the
Career Center website or contact Gillian Steele at
gsteele@depaul.edu.
*Percentages based on Crain’s Chicago Book of Lists