Enrollment and employment experiences of college graduates
Question:
What information do you have on the enrollment and employment experiences of college graduates who earned their bachelor抯 degrees?
Response:
The report, 2008� Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/09): A First Look at Recent College Graduates , describes the enrollment and employment experiences of a national sample of college graduates one year after their 2007-08 graduation.
Enrollment and demography of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients
- Twenty-three percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients majored in a business-related field; 16 percent in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM); 16 percent in a social science; and 12 percent in the humanities.
- About 20 percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients had parents whose highest level of educational attainment was a high school diploma or less.
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Forty-four percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients completed a bachelor抯 degree within 48 months of their initial postsecondary enrollment, another 23 percent within 49� months, and an additional 9 percent within 61� months.
Financing for 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients
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Sixty-six percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients borrowed to finance their degree, and of these, the average cumulative amount borrowed was $24,700. Federal borrowers, 62 percent of graduates, took out an average of $18,200 in federal loans over the course of their undergraduate education. Those who borrowed from state or private sources, 36 percent of graduates, took out a cumulative average of $13,900 in these loans, 95 percent of which were private loans.
Education and employment after college of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients
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In 2009, some 30 percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients had enrolled in another education program or had been accepted to a program and would enroll in the 2009� academic year following the interview date. Three percent had entered or were entering a program leading to another undergraduate certificate or degree, and the remainder had entered or were entering a graduate or first-professional certificate or degree program.
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In 2009, 84 percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients were working. Nine percent of 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients were unemployed (i.e., looking for work but not working), and 7 percent were not in the labor force.
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Among 2007� first-time bachelor抯 degree recipients who were employed full time, one-quarter earned less than $27,457 in 2009, while another quarter earned more than $49,200 in 2009. The median earned income was $36,000.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2011).
2008� Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/09): A First Look at Recent College Graduates (NCES 2011-236).
Other Resources: (Listed by Release Date)
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