By Austin Birchell
The National Center for Education Statistics recently released a report entitled Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B:16/17): A First Look at the Employment and Educational Experiences of College Graduates, 1 Year Later, which followed up on 26,500 baccalaureate degree holders one year after they graduated in the 2015-16 academic year.
Among the findings:
- Among all 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients, 42% were first-generation students, 19% were married or had dependents, and 27% began their education at a 2-year-or-less institution.
- 44% of the 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients completed their degree in 48 months or less after first enrolling.
- Those aged 23 years or younger graduated in 45 months or less on average, while those aged 30 years or older completed their degree in 162 months or less on average.
- First-time bachelor’s degree recipients who received the Pell Grant completed their degree in a median of 64 months, while recipients who had never received the Pell Grant completed their degree in a median of 45 months.
- Among the 2015-16% first-time bachelor’s degree recipients who completed their degrees, 67% took out loans to pay for their education.
- Of those who obtained their degrees at a private for-profit institution, 85% borrowed, borrowing $43,600 on average.
- The 69% of graduates who borrowed to attend a private nonprofit institution borrowed an average of $32,500.
- The 65% of graduates who borrowed to attend a public institution borrowed an average of $27,900.
- Of the 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients, 77% had not enrolled in any additional education post-graduation.
- 12% had enrolled in a master’s program; 6% had enrolled in an undergraduate certificate, associate’s degree, or additional bachelor’s degree program; 4% had enrolled in a doctoral degree program; and 1% had enrolled in a post-bachelor’s or post-master’s certificate program.
- Of the 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients surveyed, 67% were employed, 12% were both employed and enrolled in additional education, 9% were out of the labor force, 6% were enrolled in additional education, and 6% were unemployed.
- One year after graduation, male 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients employed full time had a median annual income of $41,600, while female first-time bachelor’s degree recipients had a median annual income of $37,400.
- Of all 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients employed full time 12 months after graduating, 47% had a salaried job and 75% had a job that offered benefits.
