UVa Millennial Alumni Thrive in the Real World

As more information is recorded about the tendencies and characteristics about millennials, Universities across the country are now able to see how their millennial alumni is performing after graduation. A new study by the Gallup-Purdue Index Report has found that UVa millennial alumni are significantly exceeding national averages in surveys that measure alumni success.

The Report, which looks at placement responses from the 61 members of the Association of American Universities, is described as, “an index that examines the long-term success of graduates as they pursue great jobs and great lives…[and] explores the relationship between University of Virginia graduates’ university experience and their long-term outcomes based on their responses to the University of Virginia alumni outcomes survey.”

The University of Virginia survey that was conducted includes 7,808 UVa graduates who received a degree from UVa between 2001 to 2015. The report is measured through three metrics: workplace engagement, well-being, and attachment to the University. In each of these three categories, UVa graduates have seen great success when compared to other Universities across the country.

Within workplace engagement, the report found that 80% of UVa graduates are employed full time by an employer, while an additional 2% are employed full time for themselves. This is compared to the 73% full-time employment found for all AAU colleges. UVa graduates are also more likely to have a job waiting for them after they receive their undergraduate degree as 41% say they had a job waiting for them after they graduated, in comparison to only 31% from all AAU colleges.

Similar results have been found in the well-being category as “Slightly more than one in 10 UVA graduates (11%) have reached the pinnacle of well-being and are thriving in all five elements of well-being, nearly two times higher than graduates from all AAU schools (6%) and also higher than graduates from public AAU schools (7%). Accordingly, UVA graduates are more likely than all comparison groups to be thriving in each of the five elements of well-being.”

Lastly, the alumni attachment section of the survey has yielded comparable findings to the other two sections. About 30% of UVa graduates feel attached to their alma mater, greater than the 25% found in all AAU schools. Furthermore, nearly four in 10 UVa graduates strongly agree that their school was a perfect fit for them, while only 34% of all AAU colleges feel the same way.

The results found from these surveys are extremely encouraging for UVa and the Gallup-Purdue Index Report agrees.

“University of Virginia alumni are more likely than are graduates from public AAU schools and all AAU schools to be employed, engaged in their work, thriving in well-being and attached to their alma mater…Ultimately, 61% of UVA graduates strongly agree their degree was worth the cost — far greater than for all comparisons groups.”