JWU’s Career Outcomes Rate Much Higher Than National Average

Sharon Eliatamy

A recent survey of graduates from Johnson & Wales University shows that 95.4 percent have found successful career outcomes — much higher than the national average, based on 2017 data.

The Career Outcomes Rate is a nationally recognized way to calculate student success. The rate reflects the percentage of students who are either employed, continuing their education, enlisted in military service, or performing voluntary service within six months of graduation.

“This is yet another proof point that a JWU education works,” says Maureen Dumas, vice president of Experiential Education & Career Services (EECS). “Our career-focused and student-centered education prepares students for meaningful careers, and our graduates continue to be in demand. We know that we are meeting our mission when, last year, 1,771 employers visited our campuses and held more than 3,140 interviews for internships and employment.”

Dumas credits several hallmarks of a JWU education for the university’s significant rate:

  • The university’s award-winning internship program in which 3,500 JWU students interned in 2017, with more than 60 percent receiving a job offer at the completion of the internship.
  • JWU’s faculty who work with students one-on-one to help them develop skills and make connections within their field.
  • The university’s Experiential Education & Career Services, which helps students connect to companies and experiences within their field, and offers career management courses that assist students in transitioning from college to the professional world.
  • Student access to thousands of jobs and internships through HireJWU, JWU’s online job search tool.

The outcomes survey is part of the National Association of College Employers First Destination Survey initiative. JWU collected information on its graduates using several methodologies: a survey was sent to graduates approximately one month prior to graduation, as well as three months, six months and 12 months post-graduation. The university also used information from other sources with careful review and verification, including the National Student Clearinghouse, a review of JWU graduate studies enrollment records, EECS hiring records and data garnered from a third-party data enrichment vendor.