About Post-Graduation Activity Survey and Career Outcomes Report
Western Michigan University conducts the annual Career Outcomes Report in accordance with the “Standards and Protocols for the Collection and Dissemination of Graduating Student Initial Career Outcomes Information” published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Three weeks before each graduation, all graduating students receive an email from their college dean, department chairperson, or program director with a personalized link to the Post-graduation Activity Survey. Survey respondents select one post-graduation activity category: working full time, working part time, further education, military service, volunteering full time (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, mission work), personal commitments (e.g., family, travel, etc.), or looking for work.
Nonrespondents receive at least four reminders via email. For the graduates who have not responded to the survey after multiple invitations, we gather employment data from public LinkedIn profiles. We obtained data for 77% of graduates (N=3,254).
Post-graduation activity data was updated throughout the year by following up with respondents who indicated they were seeking employment at the time of completing the survey. The data collection cycle ended on October 31, 2023.
Fifty-four percent (44%, N=1,084) of respondents working full time reported a salary range. Salary information is reported only for full-time employment, and it includes salaries for jobs outside the United States. We publish median salary ranges for majors/programs with at least five reported salaries. All salary data is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used for comparisons or predictions.
The report lists all WMU majors for which sufficient data has been collected. Names of majors in the report align with those listed at wmich.edu/academics. If there are fewer than five primary activity responses for a program (or for one-degree level of a program), majors within a department are combined. If there are fewer than five responses for a program, the program is not included in the report.
Western Michigan University acknowledges that the positive impact of a college education cannot be measured merely in terms of employment, earnings or continued education. The most significant and substantive outcomes of personal and professional growth occur over the lifetime of the individual graduate.