Student Outcomes Beyond Completion: National Findings From the 2021 Strada Alumni Survey
Survey
Oct. 2021
Sample Size:
3,309
Demographics:
alumni
Topics:
Learning
Student Support
Value
Career Readiness
Top Findings:
- Students’ education goals encompass learning, career, and personal growth. More than 9 in 10 alumni reported strong learning outcomes.
- At least three-quarters of alumni report they experienced at least one of three post-graduation outcomes: an earnings benefit, feeling their education was worth the cost, or achieving their goals. However, only half realized all three of these outcomes and women, first-generation, and alumni of color were less likely to experience the post-graduation benefits of a college education.
- Graduates reported that their professors and courses were very valuable to them, but experiences and support connecting education to career opportunities were much less common and not as uniformly valuable.
- After graduation, alumni who reported quality experiences connecting their education to career preparation as students also earned more money and were significantly more likely to agree their education was worth the cost and helped them to achieve their goals.
- Alumni who believe they developed in-demand professional skills are more likely to believe their education helped them achieve their goals. This pattern is consistent across all fields of study, from visual and performing arts to accounting and engineering.