First Destination
Career Center Annual Report

2017-2018

Where did they land?

What are Grand Valley State University graduates doing?

Survey of Graduates from July 1, 2017—June 30, 2018

Pie chart showing destinations of GVSU graduates. See table below for data.
Destination location of GVSU graduates, 2017-2018
Destination Graduates
Employed Full Time 75%
Continuing Education 12%
Employed Part-time 7%
Still Seeking 4%
Planning on continuing education, Volunteer Service, Miliary Service, Not Seeking Less than 1% each

Destination Rate*

95%
Respondents reporting a primary status of employed full-time, employed part-time, continuing education, volunteer service, military service, or not seeking.

SUCCESS GROWTH

The destination rate of graduates has held steady, matching 2016-2017 reports.

Major Specific Destination Rates

*The class of 2017-2018 was surveyed about their postgraduation destinations up to 7 months after degree completion. Data are also gathered from public record via LinkedIn. The knowledge rate, or percentage of the graduating population for which we have data, is 56 percent (3,007 graduates).

Student Satisfaction

82%
Respondents who agree/strongly agree their current status matches goals and expectations, a 2% increase over 2016-2017
87%
Total percentage of those who indicate satisfaction with overall career services offered

Destination Rate By College

Undergraduate Destination Rates
  • Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies (BCOIS) 82%
  • College of Community and Public Service (CCPS) 95%
  • College of Education (COE) 90%
  • College of Health Professions (CHP) 98%
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) 92%
  • Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) 94%
  • Padnos College of Engineering and Computing (PCEC) 98%
  • Seidman College of Business (SCOB) 97%
Graduate Destination Rates
  • College of Community and Public Service (CCPS) 93%
  • College of Education (COE) 99%
  • College of Health Professions (CHP) 94%
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) 98%
  • Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) 100%
  • Padnos College of Engineering and Computing (PCEC) 89%
  • Seidman College of Business (SCOB) 98%

THE LAKER EFFECT

The top regional employers recruit Grand Valley graduates. GVSU values strong relationships with employers who provide valuable career opportunities, experiences, and advice to students.

The states with the most alumni outside of Michigan are Illinois, Indiana, California, Colorado, and Florida

83%
of graduates live and work in Michigan
67%
Concentrated in West Michigan (Kent/Ottawa/ Newaygo counties)
15%
Concentrated in Metro Detroit

Representative Next Destination Employers

  • Auto-Owners Insurance
  • Amway
  • BDO USA
  • Deloitte LLC
  • The Dow Chemical Company
  • Farmers Insurance
  • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
  • General Motors
  • Gordon Food Service
  • Grand Rapids Public Schools
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Haworth
  • Herman Miller, Inc.
  • JR Automation Technologies
  • Kellogg Company
  • Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Meijer Inc.
  • Mercy Health
  • National Heritage Academies
  • Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services
  • Quicken Loans
  • Spectrum Health
  • State of Michigan
  • Steelcase Inc.
  • YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids

Representative Next Destination Graduate Schools

  • Ball State University
  • Central Michigan University
  • Ferris State University
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Indiana State University
  • Michigan State University
  • Midwestern University
  • Northwestern University
  • Oakland University
  • The Ohio State University
  • University of Michigan
  • Wayne State University
  • Western Michigan University

First Job

Employers are recruiting Grand Valley students early ‐ 64% of graduates reported receiving offers before graduation a 2% increase over 2016-2017.

23%
6+ months
Before
13%
3-6 Months
Before
28%
0-3 Months
Before
Graduation
30%
0-3 Months
After
4%
3-6 Months
After
1%
6-9 Months
After
1%
9+ Months
After

How graduates are connecting to offers

Pie chart showing how graduates a connecting to offers. See table below for data.
Method graduates are connected to offers.
Method Graduates
Personal Network 31%
Other Online Job Posting System 28%
Received job offers as a result of GVSU sources* 21%
Other 20%

*Including career fairs and events, Handshake online system, GVSU alumni network, and faculty/staff recommendations.

94%
of respondents accepted an offer within three months of graduating, an increase of 4% compared to 2016-2017
Starting Salaries
Please contact the Career Center for median starting salary information by college.

The Value of Experiential Education

Experiential education includes internships, practicums, clinicals, student teaching, co-ops, and field experiences

Chart showing experiential education type. See table below for data.
Type of experiential education in which students participate.
Education Type Graduates
Internship, practicum, field work 66%
Student teaching, assisting 16%
Clinical Rotation 13%
Co-op 7%
$15,500
Total scholarship funds awarded to students completing unpaid internships. Average per pupil award is $500.
8,412
Total number of students who participated in some form of for-credit experiential learning
$40,850
awarded in grants to 18 GVSU departments
Arrow graphic connecting the grant money to what the grants enabled.
248
New employer relationships were built
293
Employers participated in mini-grant sponsored events
419
Internships were generated
243
Students interning at 57 local employers housed in summer, on- campus housing
Chart showing other high impact practices, See table below for data.
Types of other high impact practices in which graduates participates.
High Impact Practice Graduates
Faculty-led research 23%
Service learning 16%
Study Abroad 17%
86%
Completed at least one experiential education activity
69%
Received credit for their experiential learning.

Students and the Career Center

4,530
Career Advising
Appointments
3,472
Scheduled
1,058
Drop-in
Bar chart showing class stading of career advising appointments. See table below for data.
Career advising appointment by class standings.
Class standing Percentage of appointments
Freshman 14%
Sophomores 16%
Juniors 20%
Seniors 35%
Alumni 7%
Graduate Students 6%
Other 2%
10,256
Student participation in career events, a 19% increase over 2016-2017
979
Student Participation in on-campus interviews
119
Career advisor classroom presentations
3,885
Job Postings
1,445
Internship postings
1,297
Employers participated in events and on-campus interviews, a 4% increase over 2016-2017
Students who participate
in career activities
have a
93%
year-over-year retention rate