One year after receiving their diplomas, Oregon University System graduates are well on their way to promising careers and are happy with their university experiences, according to a new study.
A report completed by the Oregon Survey Resource Laboratory at the University surveyed 1,004 of the 9,590 total students graduating OUS schools with bachelor’s degrees in 2000-01, and concluded that graduates are “satisfied customers” when it comes to their education.
Eighty percent of those interviewed rated their education a four or higher on a five-point scale, with one being “poor” and five being “excellent.” If graduates could begin again, 77 percent said they would attend the same OUS school.
The Emerald could not reach any 2001 graduates for comment, but 2002 graduate Michael Tu said he was pleased with his education.
“The classes that I took gave me the groundwork for … the things I do now,” Tu said.
The average annual salary for graduates was $30,000 to $45,000 for full-time employees and $15,000 to $30,000 for part-time employees. In other words, many college graduates have earned more than Oregon’s average wage — the average annual wage for all Oregonians in 2002 was $33,000, according to the Oregon Employment Department.
Tu graduated with a CIS degree and now works full-time as a software release engineer for Symantec Corp. in Springfield. His yearly salary is just under $45,000.
“I was surprised because the economy was so slow,” he said.
Most 2000-01 graduates are employed either full-time — 68 percent — or part-time — 15 percent — and 10 percent are attending graduate school. Respondents who completed degrees in science, mathematics or the liberal arts were more likely to continue their education.
More University students — 17 to 20 percent — decided to attend graduate school because of a larger variety of majors in these fields, Smith said.
Four percent are unemployed. This figure is 4 percent less than Oregon’s jobless rate of 8.1 percent at the beginning of 2002.
University Career Center Director Lawrence Smith added that internships are also important for finding a good job. Three months before receiving a diploma, Tu sent applications to many employers, but received minimal responses. He ended up contacting Symantec, where he had already completed an internship.
“I thought I’d have a lot of options to choose from, but that wasn’t the case,” he said.
Most graduates — 80 percent — stayed in Oregon for work. Twelve percent moved to either California or Washington, and eight percent went elsewhere in the United States.
Forty-three percent of respondents said their current employment relates closely to their degree majors. The skills taught in college, such as problem-solving, are needed the most in jobs that require a knowledge base, said Nancy Goldschmidt, assistant vice chancellor for performance and planning for OUS.
OUS began reporting statistics on university graduates in 1996 because of requests from legislators and business leaders, Goldschmidt said. Now, the reports are required by a regional accreditation board. Smith said the report is probably representative because students are critical consumers of education and would have expressed concern.
“This is an opportunity to say ‘I got ripped off,’” he said. “They’re not saying it.”