St. Cloud State University partnered with Career Leadership Collective, a higher education solutions group, to conduct a national online survey of 2010 and 2015 alumni. The National Alumni Career Mobility Survey (NACM) last year surveyed alumni who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2010 and 2015.
Data was gathered from about 2,700 undergraduate alumni. Respondent ratings show alumni satisfaction at St. Cloud State meets or exceeds participating peer or national institutions in nearly all categories.
“After years of only collecting data from graduates within one year of graduation, obtaining data from our five and 10 year alumni is a step in a positive direction,” said Career Center Executive Director Michelle Schmitz. “We now have a more comprehensive data set to guide us in building and improving our resources and services to serve the diverse needs of our student population.”
The survey collected data on current success, community engagement and level of satisfaction with their career path. The data is being used to help St. Cloud State better understand the professional pathways of graduates and optimize the education, tools and resources the institution offers students for continued and improved career success.
Eighty percent of alumni respondents said that their bachelor’s degree helped prepare them for their career and helped them get started in their career. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they were well prepared when beginning their career compared to 59 percent of alumni at national institutions. Seventy-nine percent of
respondents are content with their career progression and 84 percent are satisfied with their current career.
A degree from St. Cloud State also helps alumni get ahead and achieve economic mobility with 78 percent of respondents saying that they expect to earn more in the future than their childhood household compared to just 67 percent at national institutions.
The survey helped St. Cloud State identify areas where the university can improve its services including a greater focus on helping students create a career plan and network with employers. Alumni can help out by volunteering to share career advice with current students.
“We want to thank all the alumni that took the time to complete the survey,” Schmitz said. “Your responses will positively impact current and future Huskies.”
