GVSU Career Center
First Destination Annual Report

2018-2019

Where did they land?

What are Grand Valley State University graduates doing?

Survey of Graduates from July 1, 2018—June 30, 2019

Pie chart showing destinations of GVSU graduates. See table below for data.
Destination location of GVSU graduates, 2018-2019
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*

94%
Respondents reporting a primary status of employed full-time, employed part-time, continuing education, volunteer service, military service, or not seeking.

*The class of 2018-2019 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 52 percent (2,895 graduates).

Major Specific Destination Rates

Student Satisfaction

83%
Respondents who agree/strongly agree their current status matches goals and expectations, a 1% increase over 2017-2018.
85%
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) 97%
  • College of Community and Public Service (CCPS) 96%
  • College of Education (COE) 90%
  • College of Health Professions (CHP) 93%
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) 92%
  • Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) 93%
  • Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing (PCEC) 99%
  • Seidman College of Business (SCOB) 96%
Graduate Destination Rates
  • College of Community and Public Service (CCPS) 96%
  • College of Education (COE) 96%
  • College of Health Professions (CHP) 91%
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) 98%
  • Kirkhof College of Nursing (KCON) 90%
  • Padnos College of Engineering and Computing (PCEC) 95%
  • Seidman College of Business (SCOB) 97%

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 California, Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana.

85%
of graduates live and work in Michigan
68%
Concentrated in West Michigan (Kent/Ottawa/ Newaygo counties)
15%
Concentrated in Metro Detroit

Representative Next Destination Employers

  • Amazon
  • Amway
  • Auto-Owners Insurance
  • BDO USA
  • Beaumont Health System
  • Deloitte LLC
  • Farmers Insurance
  • General Motors
  • Gentex
  • Gordon Food Service
  • Grand Rapids Public Schools
  • Haworth
  • Hope Network
  • JR Automation Technologies
  • Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital
  • Meijer Inc.
  • Mercy Health
  • National Heritage Academies
  • Plante Moran
  • Quicken Loans
  • Spectrum Health
  • State of Michigan
  • Steelcase Inc.
  • Stryker
  • YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids

Representative Next Destination Graduate Schools

  • Central Michigan University
  • Duke University
  • Eastern Michigan University
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Michigan State University
  • North Carolina State University
  • Northwestern University
  • The Ohio State University
  • University of Illinois
  • University of Michigan
  • Wayne State University
  • Western Michigan University

First Job

Employers are recruiting Grand Valley students early ‐ 57% of graduates reported receiving offers before graduation.

18%
6+ months
Before
14%
3-6 Months
Before
25%
0-3 Months
Before
Graduation
33%
0-3 Months
After
8%
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 30%
Other Online Job Posting System 30%
GVSU sources* 23%
Other 17%

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

90%
of respondents accepted an offer within three months of graduating, an increase of 4% compared to 2017-2018
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 69%
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.
8,370
Total number of students who participated in some form of experiential learning for credit
$39,935
awarded in grants to 17 GVSU departments
Arrow graphic connecting the grant money to what the grants enabled.
245
New employer relationships were built
375
Employers participated in mini-grant sponsored events
311
Internships were generated
1,112
Student participated in sponsored events
225
Summer-student interns for local employers housed in 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 20%
Study Abroad 17%
87%
Completed at least one experiential education activity
69%
Received credit for their experiential learning.

Students and the Career Center

5,235
Career Advising
Appointments

Up 16% from 2017-2018

3,311
Scheduled
1,924
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 9%
Sophomores 19%
Juniors 23%
Seniors 38%
Alumni 5%
Graduate Students 6%
Other 2%
12,235
Student participation in career events, a 19% increase over 2017-2018
971
Student Participation in on-campus interviews
202
Career advisor classroom presentations, an increase of 70% from 2017-2018
18,976
Job Postings
6,385
Internship postings
1,640
Employers participated in events and on-campus interviews, a 26% increase over 2017-2018
Students who participate
in career activities
have a
93%
year-over-year retention rate