Augustana is proud to announce that career site Zippia has ranked AU No. 2 in the nation for post-graduate employment. This is the third year in a row that the university has made Zippia’s list, also ranked second in the nation in 2019 and 2020.
“Prospective students and families can trust this report since it pulls from employment information verified by the federal government using work authorization and FAFSA information. It provides a uniform way for students to compare colleges,” said Augustana’s Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success and Engagement Billie Streufert.
Using the Department of Education College Scorecard data, Zippia researched institutions in each state with the highest listed job placement numbers, looking specifically at employment levels 10 years after graduation. Zippia focused on the best colleges from which to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, including colleges that predominantly offer 4-year degrees. Augustana ranked second nationally with a 96.05% employment rate over the 10-year period.
“These numbers demonstrate what is distinctive about AU. Augustana graduates outperform other applicants because of their broad-based skills, robust experiential learning and ongoing contact with distinctive faculty mentors,” added Streufert.
According to a report published by Augustana University, 97% of recent graduates seeking employment are employed in their major or chosen field. Members of the Augustana Class of 2020 were hired by nearly 150 unique organizations and the median salary reported by graduates was more than $42,000.
The Outcomes Report, compiled by the Student Success Center in collaboration with the Office of Assessment, also shows that Augustana graduates can compete consistently in a rapidly changing marketplace. The employment rate of Augustana graduates over the last five years is 98%.
In 2020, Zippia also ranked Augustana No. 1 in the nation for best small colleges for securing a job — chosen from a pool of more than 1,000 schools. Niche also recently ranked AU as the Best College in South Dakota — giving the university a grade A in academics, student life and value.