A survey of 2016 Butler graduates has found that six months after graduation, 97 percent were successfully employed, enrolled in or preparing for graduate school, or participating in a gap-year experience—a 2 percentage-point increase compared with the previous class.

The average starting salary for all graduates was $50,000.

“We should definitely be proud of this,” said Courtney Rousseau ’03 MS, a Career Advisor in Butler’s Office of Internship and Career Services (ICS), who led the survey. “It shows the return on investment from a Butler education. Our students are walking away with the skills needed to take that next step.”

The “First Destination Survey” of the 999 graduates found that College of Education graduates had a 100 placement rate—as it has every year for more than a decade.

The Lacy School of Business, which is ranked by Bloomberg BusinessWeek as No. 1 in the nation for internships, had a 99 percent placement rate. All students in the Lacy School interview for and complete two internships for credit, with guidance from a career mentor. The School boasts a network of over 2,000 internship employers, and many internships turn into post-graduate employment.

The placement rate for the Jordan College of the Arts was 98 percent, followed by the College of Communication at 97 percent, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at 92 percent. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS) had an overall 97 percent placement rate; 95 percent in Pharmacy.

Gary Beaulieu, Director of Butler’s Office of Internship and Career Services (ICS), said his office takes great pride in Butler’s placement rate. ICS assists graduates with their career development at no cost for life—a service that is not guaranteed at many institutions.

“This is a fantastic success for ICS to celebrate,” he said. “This is why we do the work we do.”

Beaulieu said Butler students are well prepared for careers thanks to what they learn in the classroom and also because 75 percent of Butler students complete one or more internships for academic credit.

The knowledge collected from both the survey and reports from across campus identifies graduates’ first post-graduate experience. Overall, ICS captured data from 766 people, meaning 76 percent of 2016 graduates.

Rousseau said the study results are a combination of self-reported data—graduates responding to a survey—and knowledge-based information where the University found the graduates through social media and other measures, including reports from the colleges and departments.

Major employers of Butler’s newly minted graduates include Eli Lilly and Company, Interactive Intelligence, IU Health, Allstate, Community Health Network, and PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Nearly 25 percent of graduates went on to graduate school, with many in medical school or dental school.

Media contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822