Survey details success, challenges of the class of 2010

UW-Green Bay has achieved a 96 percent placement rate for the class of 2010, with the majority of students employed, a good percentage attending graduate school — and some doing both. Nearly eight in 10 2010 grads are working — the majority in their field of study — while another 13 percent are continuing their education, and nearly 4 percent are doing both, according to the most recent data from the Career Services Office. Results of the annual Graduate Follow-Up Survey were released this week, offering a glimpse at the successes and struggles of recent grads.

Among items of note:
• Just more than 79 percent of the class of 2010 is employed, up slightly from 78.7 percent in 2009 and 75.7 percent the year before. Grads from the class of 2010 who are working full time had an average starting salary of $31,872. One in five made $40,000 or more to start.

• Of those graduates who are working, just more than half had accepted their position prior to graduation. More than three-fourths of grads are in a position related to their major or program of study.

• Nearly 3 percent of 2010 graduates said they’re still looking for work. This compares favorably with unemployment levels in Brown County as a whole — which ranged from 6 to 7.6 percent from May 2010 to May 2011 — statewide (7 to 8.5 percent) and nationally (8.7 to 9.7 percent).

• The class of 2010 doesn’t exemplify the “brain drain” phenomenon, as nine in 10 are employed in Wisconsin, and more than three-fourths are employed within 50 miles of Green Bay. The rest work in more than a dozen other states, and at least seven alumni reported being employed overseas.

About 70 percent of 2010 alumni — 781 out of 1,109 — responded to the Graduate Follow-up Survey. Link to the full results.