Alumni Outcomes

To attain feedback from graduates, Illinois State University administers the Alumni Survey for graduates one and five years after graduation. The university began administering surveys as part of the program review process and to comply with the Illinois Board of Higher Education accountability requirements. Additionally, each academic department conducted alumni assessment according to their own purposes and schedules. During the 2001-02 academic year, the Office of Planning and Institutional Research (PIR) facilitated a coordinated revision of the instrument to reduce the number of redundant surveys being sent to alumni. The first comprehensive Alumni Survey was administered in 2002. University Assessment Services (UAS) assumed responsibility for the survey during the 2003-04 academic year and administers the annual survey each April. Now, the Alumni Survey is administered online.

The ISU Alumni Survey includes items related to job placement, job placement rates, and graduate and professional education placement. The academic and non-academic departments of the university use alumni information to improve academic assessment plans, to provide feedback to those who are involved in the Program Review Process, and to satisfy the reporting requirements of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).

Data Stories

• Cs do get degrees. And are associated with higher earnings for ISU graduates. In other news, correlation is still not causation
• Talking about Career Plans with Students Matters
• About 1 in 3 adults say a college degree is not worth it economically. Are they correct?
• A worthwhile investment: Median earnings for Illinois State University graduates one and five years after graduation
• Do internships lead to higher wages after graduation? Heck yes.

Labor Market Studies Project

UAS engages in a collaborative project with the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The project involves matching ISU data with alumni labor market outcomes, including wages and industry of employment for those who continued to live in the state. All data were de-identified and are subject to ISU human subjects research and data security policies.

The current project uses the graduating cohorts between 2003 and 2018. They include graduate and undergraduate students. Income, industry of employment, job continuity, and other measures.

If you have additional questions regarding alumni information by college, department/school, or program, please contact UAS staff.