According to Dordt University's Career Development, 98 percent of Dordt’s class of 2022 graduates were either employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.
“This data point, known as the career outcomes rate, tells us that Dordt graduates are prepared for the careers of their choosing,” says Amy Westra, director of career development. “A Dordt education provides students with industry-relevant courses and connections that make a difference.”
2022 graduates have gone on to a variety of interesting career paths and graduate programs. Some graduates report working at the Valero Energy Corporation, National Institutes of Health, Gallup, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Others enrolled in graduate school at programs like Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, and University of Iowa.
Westra says that the career outcomes rate – the percentage of graduates who are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation – is important for students and their parents to be aware of. “Students and parents want to know that their investment in a college education will pay off with a good-paying job in a field that excites the student. Career outcomes are one way to evaluate the value of an education and show a return on investment.”
Westra notes that the class of 2022 graduates reported an increase in starting salary, compared to the class of 2021. The mean salary for the class of 2022 was $47,919, which was an increase of $1,955 over the previous year. She also noticed that graduates were recruited earlier. “About 82 percent of 2022 graduates knew their first destination before they graduated,” she says.
Plus, 92 percent of 2022 graduates reported that their first destination after Dordt was related to their major.
For the past 10 years, Dordt’s career outcomes rate has been over 95 percent. “I think that longevity is an important factor to consider,” says Westra. “A Dordt education consistently results in positive career outcomes, including jobs and graduate school acceptances. Equally as important is the focus on meaningful work; at Dordt, students are challenged to consider that all work is God’s work, and how they use their gifts and talents to grow God’s kingdom here on earth matters.”
Dordt faculty and staff want to see students grow, and the entire campus community works toward that common goal. “The whole campus truly envelops students, and everyone – from faculty to coaches to on-campus work supervisors to alumni – pulls together to help our students reach their goals," says Westra.
About Dordt University
As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
This grant will help serve the national need for preparing working professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to transition to teaching roles.
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