The information below details a portion of the results of the Follow-up Survey for the Class of 2006.
To summarize the final report, 290 of the 465 graduates reported their career status, for a 62.4% return rate. This year’s return rate was 2.7% lower than for the class of 2005. Locating alumni one year after graduation continues to be challenging. All respondents completed the survey on-line. Graduates were sent a postcard with the survey site address, and follow-up was done through phone calls and e-mails. Graduates for whom we were able to locate e-mail addresses received an e-mail message with a direct link to the survey. This method of collection continues to be the most successful.
According to the Michigan State Recruiting Trends Survey for 2005-2006, “the condition of the national labor market was reported a solid ‘good’ by all respondents. Nearly 25% designated a rating of ‘very good’ to ‘excellent’ and 53% rated the market as ‘good’” (p.5). Hiring for bachelor’s level candidates was expected to increase 6% from the previous year (p.10). Of the St. Lawrence University Class of 2006, 74.8% are employed representing a 4.5% increase from the previous class. There is a 4.1% decrease in graduate school attendance with 21% attending. The total placement rate for the Class of 2006 is 95.9%, up .5% from the previous year. More than 85% of graduates find their jobs through one of two ways, either direct application or networking.
Education ranked as the #1 career field chosen by the St. Lawrence University graduating class for the sixth year in a row, followed by Banking/Finance/Investments, Sales & Marketing and Government/Non-Profit. In terms of graduate study, Education, Social Sciences, and Science & Technology were the top three fields for graduate study with 15.2% of graduates choosing to study in one of the three.
Carol L. G. Bate, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Student Life and Director of Career Services
May 2007
