Post Graduation Survey data is only released in aggregate form and personally identifiable information is kept confidential. Primary groupings of data could include the combined responses of graduates from a particular department, the average entry-level salary among a group of graduates, and an anonymous listing of employers and job titles within a department. Salary information is never combined with employer information in reports. No personal information is revealed and salary information is never added to a report where there are less than three responses for a sub-group. While the data is being gathered, a select few Career Development Center and Institutional Research and Analysis staff have access to the data for data entry and report generation purposes.

To get a better understanding of the data published, we recommend looking at a .

The year listed on the survey can be a little deceiving as it describes the class year, not the year the report was published. Since we follow up with graduates one year after graduation, the data will be published one year later. The class of 2010 had their report published in April of 2011, and the class of 2011 will have their report published in April of 2012. The most recent survey will always include last year's graduating class.

The primary product of the survey is the annual Undergraduate Post Graduation Report published each year in April. This is a summary of information gathered from the survey and disseminated to the university community, employers, and visitors. This is useful for students exploring career options, faculty, staff, and administration making classroom decisions, and employers researching salary ranges. Additional uses include reporting needed for accreditation, media ranking, public and government relations, and institutional comparison among other Minnesota colleges.

On average, only 42 percent of students receive employment by graduation and another 34 percent receive employment within 8 months after graduation. Delaying the survey allows us to capture a better picture of entry-level employment trends.