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northwestern unıversıty

University Career Services Graduation Survey Report

Class of 2009

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Table of Contents

Introduction and Survey Results………………………………………………………..3 Summary H ighlights Profile of Respondents Career Status at T ime of G raduation…………………………………………………..4 Undergraduate Employment by Industry and Job Function…………………………7 Salary Outcomes………………………………………………………………………..12 Geographic Distribution

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Introduction and Survey Results The Northwestern University Career Services Graduation Survey provides a profile of the career directions of undergraduate and graduate students of the class of 2009 and a perspective on their career planning and job search process. The 2009 survey had a very high response rate of 82% (92.7% for undergraduates).  The survey data offers insights about this year’s graduating population as well as prepares us for the coming year as the full extent of the nation’s economic rebound emerges. Northwestern is committed to helping students proactively plan for their futures and develop new strategies for internship and employment planning. Summary H ighlights First destination data describes the specific career plans of graduates immediately following graduation. The following are key highlights:

For respondents at all degree levels 72.5% were employed or planning to attend graduate school, down from 86% last year.

The mean starting salary for 2009 undergraduates was $42,853, lower than the 2008 mean salary of $48,094. Graduate student salaries were mixed - Doctoral students had an $8,000 decrease in mean salary since last year but Master’s degree salaries remained consistent.

Overall, more undergraduates in 2009 are indicating plans to continue their education immediately after graduation when compared to 2008 (2009,19.7%; 2008,18.3%). The Bienen School of Music had the greatest number of students planning to continue their education.

The top four long-term career interests cited by respondents were the same as in 2007 and 2008: business, medicine, communication, and art/performance.

A significant portion of undergraduate 2009 respondents (75.0%) indicated intentions to pursue an advanced degree. This portion was consistent with respondents in 2008 and 2007 (74.2%, 75.7%).

Students who utilized the different career resources offered by Northwestern were significantly more likely to have employment upon graduation than students who used the career services less frequently. Likewise, these students earned significantly higher salaries on average.

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Profile of Respondents A total of 2,616 NU graduates completed surveys, for an overall survey response rate of 82.0 percent, with the strongest rate attained by undergraduates (92.7%), as shown in Table 1. The overall response rate increased dramatically in 2009. Table 2 shows the survey response rate for the last three years.

Career Status at T ime of G raduation As indicated in Table 3, the future direction and career status for graduates has experienced a shift with the 2009 graduating class, which can be attributed greatly to the economic downturn that has affected employment across several industries. There was a decrease in the full-time employment rate compared to 2008, as well as a decrease in pending offers. The percentage of graduates continuing their education directly after graduating has remained relatively stable from 17.5 percent to 16.6 percent over the past four years. Similar to last year, there is a significant number of students pursuing a post-graduate internship or fellowship.

Table 1. C lass of 2009 Response Rates by Type of Degree

Class of 2009

Surveyed Class of 2009 Respondents

Class of 2009 Response Rate

N N Percent Bachelor’s  2,050 1,901 92.7 Master’s 782 471 60.2 Doctorate 358 244 68.2 Totals 3,190 2,616 82.0

Table 2. H istorical Response Rates by Type of Degree

Class of 2007 Respondents

Class of 2008 Respondents

Class of 2009 Respondents

N Percent N Percent N Percent Bachelor’s  1,719 79.4 1,430 70.2 1,901 92.7 Master’s 341 24.1 316 28.3 471 60.2 Doctorate 260 62.5 161 39.4 244 68.2 Totals 2,320 57.7 1,907 47.6 2,616 82.0

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Table 3. A ll Respondents Career Status A fter G raduation

First Destination/ Career Status at Graduation

2006

2007

2008

2009

N % N % % % N % Full Time Employment 760 39.8 866 38.4 721 37.8 801 31.1

Continue Education 334 17.5 393 17.4 290 15.2 426 16.6

Unemployed 267 14.0 282 12.5 269 14.1 559 21.7

Full time Offer Pending 106 5.5 116 4.9 132 6.9 118 4.6

Post Grad: Intern/Fellowship 97 5.1 182 8.1 148 7.8 219 8.5

Temporary or Contract 96 5.0 133 5.9 87 4.6 113 4.4

Employed Part Time 71 3.7 81 3.6 70 3.7 90 3.5

Self-Employed 70 3.7 58 2.5 60 3.1 89 3.5

Other 54 2.8 74 3.3 60 3.1 87 3.4

Voluntarily Unemployed 27 1.4 29 1.2 13 0.7 26 1.0

Community Service 23 1.2 35 1.5 25 1.3 38 1.5

Military Service Full time 6 0.3 8 0.3 10 0.5 7 0.3

Total 1,911 2,257 1,885 2573

F igure 1. 2006-2009 All Respondents’ Career Status After Graduation by Year

5 .5 %5 .1 %

14 .0 %

17 .5 %

39 .8 %

4 .9 %

8 .1 %

12 .5 %

17 .4 %

38 .4 %

6 .9 %

7 .8 %

14 .1 %15 .2 %

37 .8 %

4 .6 %

8 .5 %

21 .7 %

16 .6 %

31 .1 %

F ull t ime O ffer Pending Post G rad: Intern/F ellowship

Unemployed Continue Education F ull Time Employment

2006 2007 2008 2009

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Table 4 shows career status by type of degree. Advanced degree graduates experienced a higher rate of full-time employment while a higher percentage of Bachelor’s graduates were actively pursuing employment. Table 4.  All Respondents’ Career Status by Type of Degree

Career Status Bachelor’s  Master’s Doctorate

N Percent N Percent N Percent

FT Employed or Offer Pending 611 32.5 198 42.0 117 48.8 Continuing Education 371 19.7 52 11.0 7 2.9 Unemployed, Seeking Work 424 22.6 109 23.1 27 11.3 Temporary or Contract Job 90 4.8 18 3.8 5 2.1 Internship/Fellowship 131 7.0 18 3.8 71 29.5 Employed Part-Time 66 3.5 20 4.2 4 1.7 Other 70 3.7 18 3.8 3 1.3 Voluntarily Unemployed 24 1.3 1 0.2 1 0.4 Community Service 37 2.0 0 0.0 1 0.4 Self-Employed/Freelance 49 2.6 36 7.6 4 1.7 Military Service 6 0.3 1 0.2 0 0.0

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Undergraduate Employment by Industry and Job Function On the 2009 survey, respondents who were employed or had accepted a position were asked to name their job titles and employers. An additional question asked respondents to choose from a list of 9 long-term career interest categories, including finance, public administration, computer science, social services, healthcare, engineering, marketing, communications, and other functional categories. In assembling Figure 2, job titles were re-categorized along these long-term career interest categories to allow for a meaningful assessment of the fields that 2009 graduates were planning to enter. Figure 2. Undergraduate Employment by Industry

The largest segment of this population is employed in consulting, finance, management and other business-related fields (37%). Engineering and technology, which includes computer science jobs, was the second largest segment (15%), which education/teaching right behind with 14% of the full-time employed graduates.  

 

Business, Consulting, Fin. Mgmt,  Sales, etc., 

37%

Technology or Engineering, 15%

Education/Teaching, 14%

Communication, Journalism, Media, 8%

Research/Academia, 7%

Medicine/Health, 6%

Government, Public Policy, Politics, 5%

Community, Public or Social Service, 5%

Arts, Performance, Music, 1%

Law, 1%

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Table 5. 2009 Undergraduate Employment – by Industry The following table provides a more detailed breakdown of employment outcomes by Industry.      

  Jobs  % of Total 

Business and Related 221 33.43% Banking - Investment 26 3.93% Banking - Commercial 13 1.97% Consulting 71 10.74% Economics 6 0.91% Financial Services 31 4.69% Human Resources 1 0.15% Insurance 6 0.91% Organization Change/Development 5 0.76% Management/Administration 13 1.97% Pharmaceuticals 6 0.91% Real Estate 8 1.21% Sales 17 2.57% Securities/Trading 18 2.72% Communications M arketing and/or M edia 78 11.80%

Advertising 19 2.87% Arts Management 1 0.15% Broadcasting TV and Radio 7 1.06% Design - Fashion, Web 1 0.15% Event Planning 2 0.30% Fundraising 2 0.30% Marketing 15 2.27% Public Relations 6 0.91% Writing/Journalism/Publishing 16 2.42% Film 3 0.45% Performing Arts - Drama, Music, Theater 5 0.76%

Visual Arts 1 0.15% Engineer ing and Science 48 7.26% Biomedical/Biotechnical 6 0.91% Chemical Engineering 4 0.61% Civil/Transportation Services 8 1.21% Computer Engineering 2 0.30% Electrical Engineering 6 0.91% Engineering Management/Project Management 6 0.91%

Environmental Engineering 0 0.00%

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Information Technology 4 0.61% Industrial Engineering 1 0.15% Life Sciences 6 0.91% Material Sciences 1 0.15% Mechanical Engineering 4 0.61% Non-Profit/Education/Government 227 34.34% Education 62 9.38% Government 24 3.63% Healthcare/Public Health 29 4.39% Higher Education 9 1.36% International/Teaching Overseas 6 0.91% Law 18 2.72% Medical 11 1.66% Politics 2 0.30% Public Policy 10 1.51% Social Services/Counseling/Community Development 19 2.87%

Teaching - Elementary, Secondary 19 2.87% Research 18 2.72% Other 87 13.16% Other 87 13.16%

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F igure 3. Undergraduate Employment by Job Function

Table 6. 2009 Undergraduate Employment by Job Function – Discipline The following table provides a more detailed breakdown of employment outcomes by Job Function.

   

     

  Jobs  % of Total 

F inance 60 17.00%

Accounting 2 0.57% Commercial Banking (Consumer) 2 0.57% Commercial Banking (Lending) 3 0.85% Financial Analysis 20 5.67% Investment Banking (Corporate Finance) 6 1.70% Investment Banking (Mergers & Acquisitions) 4 1.13% Investment Banking (Real Estate) 3 0.85% Sales & Trading 17 4.82% Portfolio Management/Brokerage 3 0.85% Marketing 37 10.48% Advertising 9 2.55% Brand/Product Management 10 2.83%

Finance, 17%

Education, 14%

Engineering, 12%

Consulting, Other Business, 

12%

Marketing, 10%

Communications, 7%

Academia, 7%

Healthcare, 6%

Public Administration, 5%

Social Services, 5%Computer Science, 3%

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Buyer/Merchandising 5 1.42% Customer Service 2 0.57% Marketing Research 3 0.85% Purchasing 1 0.28% Sales 7 1.98% Consulting, O ther Business 42 11.90% Consulting 36 10.20% Management Trainee (Entry-Level Management) 6 1.70% Engineer ing 43 12.18% Bioengineering 1 0.28% Design/Construction 10 2.83% Environmental/Sanitation 1 0.28% Field Engineering 2 0.57% Hardware Design & Development 2 0.57% Manufacturing/Industrial 2 0.57% Power Systems 1 0.28% Production Engineering 1 0.28% Project Engineering 2 0.57% Quality Control 2 0.57% Research & Development 5 1.42% Software Design & Development 6 1.70% Systems/Programming 2 0.57% Testing 2 0.57% Other engineering (NEC) 4 1.13% Computer Science 12 3.40% Computer Programming 4 1.13% Computer Systems Analysis 3 0.85% Network Administration 1 0.28% Technical/Computer Support 2 0.57% Other computer related 2 0.57% H ealthcare 21 5.95% Administrative (Healthcare) 10 2.83% Medical Technology 2 0.57% Paramedic 1 0.28% Physical Therapy 1 0.28% Other health related (NEC) 7 1.98% Public Administration 19 5.38% Executive, Legislative, & General 2 0.57% Policy 7 1.98% Law Enforcement 3 0.85% Military 5 1.42%

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National Security 1 0.28% Urban/Regional Planning 1 0.28% Social Services 17 4.82% Administrative (Social Services) 7 1.98% Counseling 2 0.57% Fundraising/Development 4 1.13% Social Work 4 1.13% Communications 26 7.37% Design/Graphic Arts 1 0.28% Media Planning 3 0.85% Public Relations 10 2.83% Reporting 7 1.98% Writing/Editing 5 1.42% Academia 25 7.08% Research (Nontechnical) 9 2.55% Research (Technical/Scientific) 16 4.53% Education 51 14.45% Teaching 51 14.45%

Salary Outcomes Table 7 shows the distribution of salary levels by type of degree. As expected, graduate students reported higher salaries than undergraduates. From 2008 to 2009, mean salaries decreased by approximately 11 percent for undergraduates and 11.5 percent for doctoral level students. For Master’s level students, the mean salary remained very stable compared to 2008.

Table 7. Starting Salaries by Degree Type and Year 2007 2008 2009 Responses Mean Responses Mean Responses Mean Bachelor’s 639 $46,694 482 $48,094 1936 $42,853 Master’s 151 $63,765 135 $61,175 482 $60,954 Doctorate 126 $64,979 103 $68,826 247 $60,919

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Table 8 indicates the variance in mean starting salaries across the different employment categories.

The Medicine/Health industry was the only area that experienced an increase (+ $7,249) in salary while the largest decrease was seen in Arts, Performance, Music (- $13,600). Table 9. Undergraduate Salary by Job Function The following table shows the number of reported offers by undergraduates and average salary by job function.

FinanceJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Accounting 2 $ 15,000

Commercial Banking (Consumer) 2 $ 99,000

Commercial Banking (Lending) 3 $ 59,333

Financial Analysis 20 $ 52,050 Investment Banking (Corporate Finance) 6 $ 59,333

Investment Banking (Mergers & Acquisitions) 4 $ 62,500 Investment Banking (Real Estate) 3 $ 50,000

Sales & Trading 17 $ 48,853 Portfolio Management/Brokerage 3 $ 88,333

Table 8. Undergraduate Mean Starting Salaries- Change from 2008

Job Title Category

2008 2009

N Mean N Mean Percent Change

Change in Mean Salary

Business, Consulting, Fin. Mgmt, Sales, etc. 235 $55,511 133 $51,398 -7.4% ($4,113) Technology or Engineering 66 $54,891 55 $54,868 0.0% ($23) Medicine/Health 17 $40,429 21 $47,678 17.9% $7,249 Government, Public Policy, Politics 15 $45,708 19 $35,392 -22.6% ($10,316) Law 19 $37,447 3 $37,000 -1.2% ($447) Arts, Performance, Music 5 $31,400 5 $17,800 -43.3% ($13,600) Research/Academia 14 $36,500 25 $34,360 -5.9% ($2,140) Education/Teaching 45 $34,314 51 $27,298 -20.4% ($7,016) Communication, Journalism, Media 30 $34,018 27 $26,199 -23.0% ($7,819) Community, Public or Social Service 17 $27,812 17 $21,007 -24.5% ($6,805)

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Consulting, Other Business-Related, Etc.Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Consulting 36 $ 57,514 Management Trainee (Entry-Level

Management) 6 $ 51,833

EngineeringJob Function # of Graduates Mean SalaryBioengineering 1 $ -

Design/Construction 10 $ 57,980 Environmental/Sanitation 1 $ 43,521

Field Engineering 2 $ 28,600 Hardware Design & Development 2 $ 61,750

Manufacturing/Industrial 2 $ 64,000 Power Systems 1 $ 50,000

Production Engineering 1 $ 60,000 Project Engineering 2 $ 28,000

Quality Control 2 $ 60,000 Research & Development 5 $ 49,400

Software Design & Development 6 $ 64,750 Systems/Programming 2 $ 55,000

Testing 2 $ 53,350 Other engineering (NEC) 4 $ 54,379

MarketingJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Advertising 9 $ 44,889 Brand/Product Management 10 $ 36,300

Buyer/Merchandising 5 $ 46,600 Customer Service 2 $ 30,000

Marketing Research 3 $ 36,000

Purchasing 1 $ 38,000 Sales 7 $ 37,286

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HealthcareJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Administrative (Healthcare) 10 $ 42,978

Medical Technology 2 $ 55,500

Paramedic 1 $ 30,000

Physical Therapy 1 $ 25,000

Other health related (NEC) 7 $ 23,577

Public AdministrationJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Executive, Legislative, & General 2 $ 35,500

Policy 7 $ 25,414

Law Enforcement 3 $ 42,852

Military 5 $ 46,400

National Security 1 $ 41,000

Urban/Regional Planning 1 $ 22,000

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CommunicationsJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Design/Graphic Arts 1 $ 12,000 Media Planning 3 $ 40,867 Public Relations 10 $ 27,727

Reporting 7 $ 24,786 Writing/Editing 5 $ 24,400

AcademiaJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Research (Nontechnical) 9 $ 33,056 Research (Technical/Scientific) 16 $ 35,094

EducationJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Teaching 51 $ 27,298

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Table 10. Undergraduate Salary by Industry The following table shows the number of reported offers by undergraduates and average salary by industry.

Business and RelatedJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Banking - Investment 26 $ 62,577 Banking - Commercial 13 $ 51,250

Consulting 71 $ 57,869 Economics 6 $ 38,417

Financial Services 31 $ 60,417

Human Resources 1 $ 3,000

Insurance 6 $ 55,600 Organization Change/Development 5 $ 31,733

Management/Administration 13 $ 42,602 Pharmaceuticals 6 $ 55,630

Real Estate 8 $ 47,936 Sales 17 $ 45,625

Securities/Trading 18 $ 55,750

Communications Marketing and/or Media

Job Function # of Graduates Mean SalaryAdvertising 19 $ 38,800

Broadcasting TV and Radio 7 $ 23,800

Design - Fashion, Web 1 $ 28,000

Event Planning 2 $ 27,500

Fundraising 2 $ 41,000

Marketing 15 $ 33,000

Public Relations 6 $ 37,200

Writing/Journalism/Publishing 16 $ 23,669

Film 3 $ 37,333

Performing Arts - Drama, Music, Theater 5 $ 8,000

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Engineering and Science

Job Function # of Graduates Mean SalaryBiomedical/Biotechnical 6 $ 41,800

Chemical Engineering 4 $ 62,500

Civil/Transportation Services 8 $ 51,574

Electrical Engineering 6 $ 45,167

Engineering Management/Project Management 6 $ 55,900

Information Technology 4 $ 60,250

Industrial Engineering 1 $ 61,000

Life Sciences 6 $ 31,400

Material Sciences 1 $ 35,000

Mechanical Engineering 4 $ 51,675

Non-Profit/Education/GovernmentJob Function # of Graduates Mean Salary

Education 62 $ 29,518

Government 24 $ 37,438

Healthcare/Public Health 29 $ 33,000

Higher Education 9 $ 22,278

International/Teaching Overseas 6 $ 12,000

Law 18 $ 36,679

Medical 11 $ 27,630

Politics 2 $ 24,175 Public Policy 10 $ 21,509

Social Services/Counseling/Community Development 19 $ 19,952 Teaching - Elementary, Secondary 19 $ 28,197

Research 18 $ 37,786

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Geographic Distribution In addition to salary, the survey also asked Northwestern graduates where they would be residing next fall. While most graduates indicated that they would stay in the United States, eight percent reported an international location. Figure 11 presents graduates’ geographic distribution (within the U.S. and internationally) for those students who clearly indicated a location for next fall’s residency. F igure 4. Geographic Distr ibution of all Graduates Reporting Next Year’s Location

There appears to be less geographic dispersion in 2009 with nearly 60 percent staying in the Midwest compared to 49 percent in 2008. The Northeast has the second largest domestic presence (9.8%), followed by the West (10.5%), the Mid-Atlantic (7.1%), the South (3.4%), and the Southwest (1.5%). Students’ future destination had an effect on salary.  Table 17 represents graduates’ salary by region and major city. Graduates tended to cluster in major cities like Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington, DC. Students planning to reside in Chicago or the Chicago suburbs make up 45 percent of the salaried graduates. Among U.S. regions, the Southwest represents the highest mean salary ($56,800) while the Mid-Atlantic represents the lowest ($42,321). San Francisco and Los Angeles had the highest median salaries of the cities reporting at $61,500 and $57,500 respectively.

International 8.0%

Mid-Atlantic 7.1%

Midwest 59.7%

Northeast 9.8%

South 3.4%Southwest 1.5%

W est 10.5%

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Table 17. Base Salary by Geographic Distr ibution* Region C ity/Region N Percent Range ($) M ean ($) M edian ($) Mid-Atlantic 159 7.1 3,000-150,000 42,321 41,500 Washington DC 37 1.6 24,000-150,000 58,345 57,000 Midwest 1343 59.7 1,500-182,000 49,684 45,500

Chicago 771 34.3 30,000-175,000 44,781 44,000

Greater Chicago** 246 10.9 5,232-120,000 32,212 29,500 Ann Arbor 31 1.4 25,500-182,000 49,020 45,500 Minneapolis 29 1.3 36,000-120,000 59,472 53,750 Madison 16 0.7 23,000-130,000 59,000 55,000 Northeast 221 9.8 12,000-170,000 54,048 48,000 New York City 155 6.9 30,000-142,000 43,900 43,750 Boston 40 1.8 5,000-170,000 38,555 32,500 Philadelphia 15 0.7 38,000-65,000 49,750 47,500 South 76 3.4 24,000-103,000 54,913 60,000 Southwest 33 1.5 30,000-110,000 56,800 44,000 West 237 10.5 4,000-170,000 53,556 50,000 San Francisco 22 0.9 36,995-80,000 60,423 61,500 Los Angeles 57 2.5 11,000-103,000 56,333 57,500 International 180 8.0 1,500-110,000 31,511 28,000 Asia/South Pacific 49 2.1 1,500-110,000 26,506 24,500 Europe 57 2.5 10,000-100,000 36,850 31,500

*Based on self-reporting respondents who reported a city and/or state and salary **Including Evanston, but excluding Chicago If you have any questions about this information please contact Wesley Thorne, Assistant Director for Business and Employer Relations, wthorne@northwestern.edu