1

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University Career Services
Graduation Survey Report
Class of 2009

















2

Table of Contents




I ntroduction and Survey Results.......................3
Summary Highlights
Profile of Respondents


Career Status at Time of Graduation.....................4


Undergraduate Employment by I ndustry and Job Function..........7

Salary Outcomes.............................12
Geographic Distribution





























3

I ntroduction and Survey Results

The Northwestern University Career Services Graduation Survey provides a profile of the career
directions of undergraduate and graduate students of the class of 2009 and a perspective on their
career planning and job search process. The 2009 survey had a very high response rate of 82%
(92.7 Ior undergraduates). The survey data oIIers insights about this year`s graduating
population as well as prepares us Ior the coming year as the Iull extent oI the nation`s economic
rebound emerges. Northwestern is committed to helping students proactively plan for their
futures and develop new strategies for internship and employment planning.

Summary Highlights
First destination data describes the specific career plans of graduates immediately following
graduation. The following are key highlights:

For respondents at all degree levels 72.5% were employed or planning to attend graduate
school, down from 86% last year.
The mean starting salary for 2009 undergraduates was $42,853, lower than the 2008
mean salary of $48,094. Graduate student salaries were mixed - Doctoral students had an
$8,000 decrease in mean salary since last year but Master`s degree salaries remained
consistent.
Overall, more undergraduates in 2009 are indicating plans to continue their education
immediately after graduation when compared to 2008 (2009,19.7%; 2008,18.3%). The
Bienen School of Music had the greatest number of students planning to continue their
education.
The top four long-term career interests cited by respondents were the same as in 2007 and
2008: business, medicine, communication, and art/performance.
A significant portion of undergraduate 2009 respondents (75.0%) indicated intentions to
pursue an advanced degree. This portion was consistent with respondents in 2008 and
2007 (74.2%, 75.7%).
Students who utilized the different career resources offered by Northwestern were
significantly more likely to have employment upon graduation than students who used
the career services less frequently. Likewise, these students earned significantly higher
salaries on average.













4

Profile of Respondents
A total of 2,616 NU graduates completed surveys, for an overall survey response rate of 82.0
percent, with the strongest rate attained by undergraduates (92.7%), as shown in Table 1. The
overall response rate increased dramatically in 2009. Table 2 shows the survey response rate for
the last three years.






Career Status at Ti me of Graduation

As indicated in Table 3, the future direction and career status for graduates has experienced a
shift with the 2009 graduating class, which can be attributed greatly to the economic downturn
that has affected employment across several industries. There was a decrease in the full-time
employment rate compared to 2008, as well as a decrease in pending offers. The percentage of
graduates continuing their education directly after graduating has remained relatively stable from
17.5 percent to 16.6 percent over the past four years. Similar to last year, there is a significant
number of students pursuing a post-graduate internship or fellowship.









Table 1. Class of 2009 Response Rates by Type of Degree

Class of 2009
Surveyed
Class of 2009
Respondents
Class of 2009
Response Rate
N N Percent
Bachelor`s 2,050 1,901 92.7
Master`s 782 471 60.2
Doctorate 358 244 68.2
Totals 3,190 2,616 82.0

Table 2. Historical Response Rates by Type of Degree

Class of 2007
Respondents
Class of 2008
Respondents
Class of 2009
Respondents
N Percent N Percent N Percent
Bachelor`s 1,719 79.4 1,430 70.2 1,901 92.7
Master`s 341 24.1 316 28.3 471 60.2
Doctorate 260 62.5 161 39.4 244 68.2
Totals 2,320 57.7 1,907 47.6 2,616 82.0
5

Table 3. All Respondents Career Status After Graduation
First Destination/ Career
Status at Graduation

2006

2007

2008

2009
N % N % % % N %
Full Time Employment 760 39.8 866 38.4 721 37.8 801 31.1
Continue Education 334 17.5 393 17.4 290 15.2 426 16.6
Unemployed 267 14.0 282 12.5 269 14.1 559 21.7
Full time Offer Pending 106 5.5 116 4.9 132 6.9 118 4.6
Post Grad: Intern/Fellowship 97 5.1 182 8.1 148 7.8 219 8.5
Temporary or Contract 96 5.0 133 5.9 87 4.6 113 4.4
Employed Part Time 71 3.7 81 3.6 70 3.7 90 3.5
Self-Employed 70 3.7 58 2.5 60 3.1 89 3.5
Other 54 2.8 74 3.3 60 3.1 87 3.4
Voluntarily Unemployed 27 1.4 29 1.2 13 0.7 26 1.0
Community Service 23 1.2 35 1.5 25 1.3 38 1.5
Military Service Full time 6 0.3 8 0.3 10 0.5 7 0.3
Total 1,911 2,257 1,885 2573

Figure 1. 2006-2009 All Respondents` Career Status After Graduation by Year


5.5%
5.1%
14.0%
17.5%
39.8%
4.9%
8.1%
12.5%
17.4%
38.4%
6.9%
7.8%
14.1%
15.2%
37.8%
4.6%
8.5%
21.7%
16.6%
31.1%
F ull t ime Of fer Pending Post Grad:
Intern/Fellowship
Unemployed Cont inue Educat ion F ull Time Employment
2006 2007 2008 2009
6

Table 4 shows career status by type of degree. Advanced degree graduates experienced a higher rate of
full-time employment while a higher percentage oI Bachelor`s graduates were actively pursuing
employment.

Table 4. All Respondents` Career Status by Type of Degree
Career Status
Bachelor`s Master`s Doctorate
N Percent N Percent N Percent
FT Employed or Offer Pending 611 32.5 198 42.0 117 48.8
Continuing Education 371 19.7 52 11.0 7 2.9
Unemployed, Seeking Work 424 22.6 109 23.1 27 11.3
Temporary or Contract Job 90 4.8 18 3.8 5 2.1
Internship/Fellowship 131 7.0 18 3.8 71 29.5
Employed Part-Time 66 3.5 20 4.2 4 1.7
Other 70 3.7 18 3.8 3 1.3
Voluntarily Unemployed 24 1.3 1 0.2 1 0.4
Community Service 37 2.0 0 0.0 1 0.4
Self-Employed/Freelance 49 2.6 36 7.6 4 1.7
Military Service 6 0.3 1 0.2 0 0.0



























7

Undergraduate Employment by I ndustry and Job Function

On the 2009 survey, respondents who were employed or had accepted a position were asked to
name their job titles and employers. An additional question asked respondents to choose from a
list of 9 long-term career interest categories, including finance, public administration, computer
science, social services, healthcare, engineering, marketing, communications, and other
functional categories. In assembling Figure 2, job titles were re-categorized along these long-
term career interest categories to allow for a meaningful assessment of the fields that 2009
graduates were planning to enter.

Figure 2. Undergraduate Employment by Industry





The largest segment of this population is employed in consulting, finance, management and other
business-related fields (37%). Engineering and technology, which includes computer science
jobs, was the second largest segment (15%), which education/teaching right behind with 14% of
the full-time employed graduates.










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Table 5. 2009 Undergraduate Employment - by I ndustry
The following table provides a more detailed breakdown of employment outcomes by Industry.


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Business and Related 221 33.43%
Banking - Investment 26
3.93%
Banking - Commercial 13
1.97%
Consulting 71
10.74%
Economics 6
0.91%
Financial Services 31
4.69%
Human Resources 1
0.15%
Insurance 6
0.91%
Organization Change/Development 5
0.76%
Management/Administration 13
1.97%
Pharmaceuticals 6
0.91%
Real Estate 8
1.21%
Sales 17
2.57%
Securities/Trading 18
2.72%
Communications Mar keting and/or Media 78
11.80%
Advertising 19
2.87%
Arts Management 1
0.15%
Broadcasting TV and Radio 7
1.06%
Design - Fashion, Web 1
0.15%
Event Planning 2
0.30%
Fundraising 2
0.30%
Marketing 15
2.27%
Public Relations 6
0.91%
Writing/Journalism/Publishing 16
2.42%
Film 3
0.45%
Performing Arts - Drama, Music, Theater 5
0.76%
Visual Arts 1
0.15%
Engineeri ng and Science 48
7.26%
Biomedical/Biotechnical 6
0.91%
Chemical Engineering 4
0.61%
Civil/Transportation Services 8
1.21%
Computer Engineering 2
0.30%
Electrical Engineering 6
0.91%
Engineering Management/Project Management 6
0.91%
Environmental Engineering 0
0.00%
9

Information Technology 4
0.61%
Industrial Engineering 1
0.15%
Life Sciences 6
0.91%
Material Sciences 1
0.15%
Mechanical Engineering 4
0.61%
Non-Profit/ Education/ Government 227
34.34%
Education 62
9.38%
Government 24
3.63%
Healthcare/Public Health 29
4.39%
Higher Education 9
1.36%
International/Teaching Overseas 6
0.91%
Law 18
2.72%
Medical 11
1.66%
Politics 2
0.30%
Public Policy 10
1.51%
Social Services/Counseling/Community Development 19
2.87%
Teaching - Elementary, Secondary 19
2.87%
Research 18
2.72%
Other 87
13.16%
Other 87
13.16%























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Figure 3. Undergraduate Employment by Job Function






Table 6. 2009 Undergraduate Employment by Job Function - Discipline
The following table provides a more detailed breakdown of employment outcomes by Job
Function.




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Finance 60 17.00%
Accounting 2 0.57%
Commercial Banking (Consumer) 2 0.57%
Commercial Banking (Lending) 3 0.85%
Financial Analysis 20 5.67%
Investment Banking (Corporate Finance) 6 1.70%
Investment Banking (Mergers & Acquisitions) 4 1.13%
Investment Banking (Real Estate) 3 0.85%
Sales & Trading 17 4.82%
Portfolio Management/Brokerage 3 0.85%
Mar keting 37 10.48%
Advertising 9 2.55%
Brand/Product Management 10 2.83%
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Buyer/Merchandising 5 1.42%
Customer Service 2 0.57%
Marketing Research 3 0.85%
Purchasing 1 0.28%
Sales 7 1.98%
Consulting, Other Business 42 11.90%
Consulting 36 10.20%
Management Trainee (Entry-Level Management) 6 1.70%
Engineering 43 12.18%
Bioengineering 1 0.28%
Design/Construction 10 2.83%
Environmental/Sanitation 1 0.28%
Field Engineering 2 0.57%
Hardware Design & Development 2 0.57%
Manufacturing/Industrial 2 0.57%
Power Systems 1 0.28%
Production Engineering 1 0.28%
Project Engineering 2 0.57%
Quality Control 2 0.57%
Research & Development 5 1.42%
Software Design & Development 6 1.70%
Systems/Programming 2 0.57%
Testing 2 0.57%
Other engineering (NEC) 4 1.13%
Computer Science 12 3.40%
Computer Programming 4 1.13%
Computer Systems Analysis 3 0.85%
Network Administration 1 0.28%
Technical/Computer Support 2 0.57%
Other computer related 2 0.57%
Healthcare 21 5.95%
Administrative (Healthcare) 10 2.83%
Medical Technology 2 0.57%
Paramedic 1 0.28%
Physical Therapy 1 0.28%
Other health related (NEC) 7 1.98%
Public Administ ration 19 5.38%
Executive, Legislative, & General 2 0.57%
Policy 7 1.98%
Law Enforcement 3 0.85%
Military 5 1.42%
12

National Security 1 0.28%
Urban/Regional Planning 1 0.28%
Social Services 17 4.82%
Administrative (Social Services) 7 1.98%
Counseling 2 0.57%
Fundraising/Development 4 1.13%
Social Work 4 1.13%
Communications 26 7.37%
Design/Graphic Arts 1 0.28%
Media Planning 3 0.85%
Public Relations 10 2.83%
Reporting 7 1.98%
Writing/Editing 5 1.42%
Academia 25 7.08%
Research (Nontechnical) 9 2.55%
Research (Technical/Scientific) 16 4.53%
Education 51 14.45%
Teaching 51 14.45%


Salary Outcomes

Table 7 shows the distribution of salary levels by type of degree. As expected, graduate students
reported higher salaries than undergraduates. From 2008 to 2009, mean salaries decreased by
approximately 11 percent for undergraduates and 11.5 percent for doctoral level students. For
Master`s level students, the mean salary remained very stable compared to 2008.


Table 7. Starting Salaries by Degree Type and Year

2007 2008 2009

Responses Mean Responses Mean Responses Mean
Bachelor`s 639 $46,694 482 $48,094 1936 $42,853
Master`s 151 $63,765 135 $61,175 482 $60,954
Doctorate 126 $64,979 103 $68,826 247 $60,919










13

Table 8 indicates the variance in mean starting salaries across the different employment
categories.



The Medicine/Health industry was the only area that experienced an increase (+ $7,249) in salary while
the largest decrease was seen in Arts, Performance, Music (- $13,600).



Table 9. Undergraduate Salary by Job Function
The following table shows the number of reported offers by undergraduates and average salary by job
function.



Finance
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Accounting 2 $ 15,000
Commercial Banking (Consumer) 2 $ 99,000
Commercial Banking (Lending) 3 $ 59,333
Financial Analysis 20 $ 52,050
Investment Banking (Corporate Finance) 6 $ 59,333
Investment Banking (Mergers & Acquisitions) 4 $ 62,500
Investment Banking (Real Estate) 3 $ 50,000
Sales & Trading 17 $ 48,853
Portfolio Management/Brokerage 3 $ 88,333
Table 8. Undergraduate Mean Starting Salaries- Change f rom 2008
Job Title Category
2008 2009
N Mean N Mean
Percent
Change
Change in
Mean
Salary
Business, Consulting, Fin. Mgmt, Sales, etc. 235 $55,511 133 $51,398 -7.4% ($4,113)
Technology or Engineering 66 $54,891 55 $54,868 0.0% ($23)
Medicine/Health 17 $40,429 21 $47,678 17.9% $7,249
Government, Public Policy, Politics 15 $45,708 19 $35,392 -22.6% ($10,316)
Law 19 $37,447 3 $37,000 -1.2% ($447)
Arts, Performance, Music 5 $31,400 5 $17,800 -43.3% ($13,600)
Research/Academia 14 $36,500 25 $34,360 -5.9% ($2,140)
Education/Teaching 45 $34,314 51 $27,298 -20.4% ($7,016)
Communication, Journalism, Media 30 $34,018
27 $26,199 -23.0% ($7,819)
Community, Public or Social Service 17 $27,812 17 $21,007 -24.5% ($6,805)
14


Consulting, Other Business-Related, Etc.
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Consulting 36 $ 57,514
Management Trainee (Entry-Level
Management)
6 $ 51,833
Engineering
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Bioengineering 1 $ -
Design/Construction 10 $ 57,980
Environmental/Sanitation 1 $ 43,521
Field Engineering 2 $ 28,600
Hardware Design & Development 2 $ 61,750
Manufacturing/Industrial 2 $ 64,000
Power Systems 1 $ 50,000
Production Engineering 1 $ 60,000
Project Engineering 2 $ 28,000
Quality Control 2 $ 60,000
Research & Development 5 $ 49,400
Software Design & Development 6 $ 64,750
Systems/Programming 2 $ 55,000
Testing 2 $ 53,350
Other engineering (NEC) 4 $ 54,379
Marketing
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Advertising 9 $ 44,889
Brand/Product Management 10 $ 36,300
Buyer/Merchandising 5 $ 46,600
Customer Service 2 $ 30,000
Marketing Research 3 $ 36,000
Purchasing 1 $ 38,000
Sales 7 $ 37,286
15




Healthcare
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Administrative (Healthcare) 10 $ 42,978
Medical Technology 2 $ 55,500
Paramedic 1 $ 30,000
Physical Therapy 1 $ 25,000
Other health related (NEC) 7 $ 23,577
Public Administration
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Executive, Legislative, & General 2 $ 35,500
Policy 7 $ 25,414
Law Enforcement 3 $ 42,852
Military 5 $ 46,400
National Security 1 $ 41,000
Urban/Regional Planning 1 $ 22,000
16




















Communications
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Design/Graphic Arts 1 $ 12,000
Media Planning 3 $ 40,867
Public Relations 10 $ 27,727
Reporting 7 $ 24,786
Writing/Editing 5 $ 24,400
Academia
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Research (Nontechnical) 9 $ 33,056
Research (Technical/Scientific) 16 $ 35,094
Education
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Teaching 51 $ 27,298
17

Table 10. Undergraduate Salary by I ndust ry
The following table shows the number of reported offers by undergraduates and average salary by
industry.



Business and Related
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Banking - Investment 26 $ 62,577
Banking - Commercial 13 $ 51,250
Consulting 71 $ 57,869
Economics 6 $ 38,417
Financial Services 31 $ 60,417
Human Resources 1 $ 3,000
Insurance 6 $ 55,600
Organization Change/Development 5 $ 31,733
Management/Administration 13 $ 42,602
Pharmaceuticals 6 $ 55,630
Real Estate 8 $ 47,936
Sales 17 $ 45,625
Securities/Trading 18 $ 55,750
Communications Marketing and/or Media
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Advertising 19 $ 38,800
Broadcasting TV and Radio 7 $ 23,800
Design - Fashion, Web 1 $ 28,000
Event Planning 2 $ 27,500
Fundraising 2 $ 41,000
Marketing 15 $ 33,000
Public Relations 6 $ 37,200
Writing/Journalism/Publishing 16 $ 23,669
Film 3 $ 37,333
Performing Arts - Drama, Music, Theater 5 $ 8,000
18












Engineering and Science
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Biomedical/Biotechnical 6 $ 41,800
Chemical Engineering 4 $ 62,500
Civil/Transportation Services 8 $ 51,574
Electrical Engineering 6 $ 45,167
Engineering Management/Project Management 6 $ 55,900
Information Technology 4 $ 60,250
Industrial Engineering 1 $ 61,000
Life Sciences 6 $ 31,400
Material Sciences 1 $ 35,000
Mechanical Engineering 4 $ 51,675
Non-Profit/Education/Government
Job Function # of Graduates Mean Salary
Education 62 $ 29,518
Government 24 $ 37,438
Healthcare/Public Health 29 $ 33,000
Higher Education 9 $ 22,278
International/Teaching Overseas 6 $ 12,000
Law 18 $ 36,679
Medical 11 $ 27,630
Politics 2 $ 24,175
Public Policy 10 $ 21,509
Social Services/Counseling/Community Development 19 $ 19,952
Teaching - Elementary, Secondary 19 $ 28,197
Research 18 $ 37,786
19

Geographic Distribution

In addition to salary, the survey also asked Northwestern graduates where they would be residing
next fall. While most graduates indicated that they would stay in the United States, eight percent
reported an international location. Figure 11 presents graduates` geographic distribution (within
the U.S. and internationally) Ior those students who clearly indicated a location Ior next Iall`s
residency.


Figure 4. Geographic Distribution of all Graduates Reporting Next Year`s Location


There appears to be less geographic dispersion in 2009 with nearly 60 percent staying in the Midwest
compared to 49 percent in 2008. The Northeast has the second largest domestic presence (9.8%),
followed by the West (10.5%), the Mid-Atlantic (7.1%), the South (3.4%),
and the Southwest (1.5%).

Students` Iuture destination had an eIIect on salary. Table 17 represents graduates` salary by region and
major city. Graduates tended to cluster in major cities like Chicago, New York, Boston and Washington,
DC. Students planning to reside in Chicago or the Chicago suburbs make up 45 percent of the salaried
graduates. Among U.S. regions, the Southwest represents the highest mean salary ($56,800) while the
Mid-Atlantic represents the lowest ($42,321). San Francisco and Los Angeles had the highest median
salaries of the cities reporting at $61,500 and $57,500 respectively.






International
8.0%
Mi d-Atl anti c
7.1%
Mi dwest 59.7%
Northeast 9.8%
South 3.4%
Southwest 1.5%
West 10.5%
20


Table 17. Base Salary by Geographic Distribution*
Region City/Region N Percent Range ($) Mean ($) Median ($)
Mid-Atlantic 159 7.1 3,000-150,000 42,321 41,500
Washington DC 37 1.6 24,000-150,000 58,345 57,000
Midwest 1343 59.7 1,500-182,000 49,684 45,500


Chicago 771 34.3 30,000-175,000 44,781 44,000
Greater Chicago** 246 10.9 5,232-120,000 32,212 29,500
Ann Arbor 31 1.4 25,500-182,000 49,020 45,500
Minneapolis 29 1.3 36,000-120,000 59,472 53,750
Madison 16 0.7 23,000-130,000 59,000 55,000
Northeast 221 9.8 12,000-170,000 54,048 48,000
New York City 155 6.9 30,000-142,000 43,900 43,750
Boston 40 1.8 5,000-170,000 38,555 32,500
Philadelphia 15 0.7 38,000-65,000 49,750 47,500
South 76 3.4 24,000-103,000 54,913 60,000
Southwest 33 1.5 30,000-110,000 56,800 44,000
West 237 10.5 4,000-170,000 53,556 50,000
San Francisco 22 0.9 36,995-80,000 60,423 61,500
Los Angeles 57 2.5 11,000-103,000 56,333 57,500
International 180 8.0 1,500-110,000 31,511 28,000
Asia/South Pacific 49 2.1 1,500-110,000 26,506 24,500
Europe 57 2.5 10,000-100,000 36,850 31,500
*Based on self-reporting respondents who reported a city and/or state and salary
**Including Evanston, but excluding Chicago

If you have any questions about this information please contact Wesley Thorne, Assistant Director for
Business and Employer Relations, wthorne@northwestern.edu