MADISON, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin System is embarking on an ambitious survey of alumni aimed at gauging career and education satisfaction, knowledge and skills gained, community and civic involvement, economic mobility, degree relevance, and other measures of a UW education.
The National Alumni Career Mobility Survey will engage alumni from all UW System universities who graduated in 2010 and 2015 with bachelor’s degrees to assess a range of factors five and 10 years after graduation.
This is the first time this national survey is being conducted. Survey results are expected to be more comprehensive than “first destination” information gleaned from graduates a year out of college. Results will complement the earnings data collected by UW System from employers that showed University of Wisconsin System graduates earn a median salary of nearly $50,000 annually just a year after securing their bachelor’s degrees and more than $66,000 after five years.
“Our universities provide a tremendous value to our students, and we already know the significant earning power of a UW degree,” said UW System President Tommy Thompson. “This new survey will help us better understand how UW graduates transition into the workforce and civic life.”
The survey will take place Nov. 14 through Dec. 31 and include more than 46,000 undergraduate alumni from all 13 UW System institutions. It will be conducted under contract by the Career Leadership Collective.
Survey results are expected to be available in mid-2021.
Including all measures, the survey is expected to provide UW System and individual universities with a better understanding of the career and degree satisfaction of UW System alumni and an assessment of the longer-term impact of students’ education on their careers and lives. It will also equip universities with data to enhance programs and services for current and future students.
“Our alumni are terrific ambassadors for our universities and our state,” said Regent President Andrew S. Petersen. “We look forward to learning from them.”
UW System encourages alumni from 2010 and 2015 to respond to the survey when contacted by their universities by email.
The University of Wisconsin System serves approximately 165,000 students. Awarding nearly 37,000 degrees annually, the UW System is Wisconsin’s talent pipeline, putting graduates in position to increase their earning power, contribute to their communities, and make Wisconsin a better place to live. Nearly 90 percent of in-state UW System graduates stay in Wisconsin five years after earning a degree. The UW System provides a 23:1 return on state investment. UW System institutions also contribute to the richness of Wisconsin’s culture and economy with groundbreaking research, new companies and patents, and boundless creative intellectual energy.