Colby-Sawyer Graduate Outcomes Report Shows High Employment, Confirms Value of Internships
The graduate outcomes report for the Colby-Sawyer College Class of 2013 released this spring indicates that six months after graduating, 94 percent of the class was either employed or pursuing graduate studies. Based on a survey conducted by the college's Harrington Center for Experiential Learning for Career & Academic Advising with a 50 percent response rate, 85 percent of the graduates were employed, with 28 percent of them employed at organizations where they completed internships. Colby-Sawyer students are required to complete at least one internship to graduate.
Sixty percent of the employed graduates reported that their positions were directly related to their major, an increase of 11 percent over the Class of 2012. Similarly, 58 percent indicated that their jobs had definite career potential, up from 47 percent reported by the preceding class. Employment was spread across the country, with alumni in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas.
Eight percent of the class entered full-time graduate studies and one percent were involved in volunteer work. Students pursuing graduate studies enrolled at Adelphi University, Brandeis University, Boston University, Emerson College, Indiana State University, Ithaca University, Rutgers University, Suffolk University Law School, Tufts University, University of New Hampshire Law School and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, among others.
“The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Leap Report and follow-up research confirm that employers are seeking graduates with strong liberal arts skills and real-world experiences,” said Director of Career & Academic Advising Kathy Taylor. “We provide that to our students at Colby-Sawyer in a collaborative, encouraging environment.”
Taylor credits students' internship experiences and the collaboration between faculty and career services for the success. “Colby-Sawyer graduate data is consistently strong in terms of employment and graduate school outcomes, employment related to major, and the internship-to-hire ratio,” said Taylor. “This shows the value in the liberal education foundation we provide in conjunction with our professional preparation focus.”
“Many of my colleagues at other institutions find their faculty reluctant or unwilling to connect with career services, but at Colby-Sawyer, we have a very collaborative relationship,” she added. “Students benefit from that collaborative environment [not only in class but also] during their internships, which are rigorous, academically focused and individually approved by a team [composed of] a faculty sponsor, employer, department chair and the internship coordinator. The high standards we set result in meaningful experiences for students.”
The business administration major leads the outcome numbers with 100 percent of its graduates either employed or enrolled in graduate school, followed by nursing and healthcare management at 94 percent; social sciences at 90 percent; natural and environmental sciences at 88 percent; exercise and sport sciences at 85 percent; and arts, humanities and multidisciplinary studies at 83 percent. Twenty-three percent of the employed graduates reported annual salaries over $50,000 while 16 percent were within the $40,000 – $50,000/year range and 27 percent were within the $30,000 – $40,000/year range. Nursing and healthcare majors had the highest median salary, followed by business majors at $40,000; arts, humanities and natural sciences majors reported a median salary of $35,000.
“I am thrilled to see the median starting salaries for our arts, humanities and natural sciences majors,” Taylor said. We always expect good results from our nursing, business and health care majors, but to see our more liberal education focused majors do so well is rewarding.” Taylor added, “[This is] great information to share with parents of prospective students. The key is for students to get hands-on experience to build their résumés [through] internships and to learn how to market their skills effectively to employers [by practicing in] class presentations and [by attending] career workshops and networking events.”
Some of the top employers of 2013 graduates included American Heart Association, Concord Hospital, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Eli Lilly and Company, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Fidelity Investments, Fletcher Allen Healthcare, IBM, Massachusetts General Hospital, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, New England Center for Children, N.H. Fisher Cats Baseball, Royal Caribbean, Timken Aerospace and the United States Department of Defense.
For more information, visit http://www.colby-sawyer.edu/campus-life/career.
- Anurup Upadhyay '15
Anurup Upadhyay is a business major at Colby-Sawyer College and a student writer for College Communications.
Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the college's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.
Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000
