CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Recent graduates from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign landed postgraduation opportunities at high rates and with increased starting salaries, according to data compiled in the annual Illini Success report released today.
This year’s Illini Success report highlights students who completed undergraduate degrees in August 2022, December 2022 and May 2023. It captures the number of graduates who achieve a “first destination” — defined as a job, enrollment in graduate or professional school, or a volunteer position — within six months of graduation.
The report found 91% of this graduation cohort secured a first destination: 56% of students started a job, 35% enrolled in additional education and 1% took on a volunteer position. Additionally, there was an increase in earnings for employed recent Illini graduates with an average salary of $75,847, up from last year’s $74,974.
The university continues to attract top students in the state who stay in Illinois after graduation. Of those graduates who are Illinois residents, 78% secured their first destination within Illinois and 69% of all graduates from the 2022-2023 classes will remain in the state for employment or continuing education. The remaining 31% secured first destinations across 48 other U.S. states and 25 other countries.
“The day we release the results from this survey has become one of our annual highlights,” said Chancellor Robert J. Jones. “We know that the choice to attend Illinois will provide our students with a world-class educational experience. The Illini Success data demonstrates that the decision to come here is also a great investment in your life and career after you graduate.”
The Illini Success report also serves as a measurement of how many graduates participated in an experiential learning opportunity (internship, research project, study abroad, service learning, clinical programs) while attending Illinois. The report noted that 88% of graduates took part in experiential learning, with 40% of those students receiving job offers as a result of that opportunity.
Top employers include AbbVie, Amazon, Apple, Carle Health, Caterpillar, Deloitte, EY, Google, IBM, John Deere, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KPMG, Microsoft, PepsiCo Inc., PwC and others.
Top graduate and professional schools include Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley and others.
Data obtained to prepare the annual Illini Success report comes from a survey of graduates and through a collection of other sources, including the National Student Clearinghouse, college reports and LinkedIn metrics. This year’s report had a knowledge rate of 65%, an increase from 59% the previous year. The yearly project is a campuswide collaboration between the Office of the Provost, Career Center, Division of Management Information, Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning and other partners.
Illini Success by the Numbers (2022-2023)
- 91, the percentage of graduates who secured a first destination (job, graduate school, volunteer program).
- 88, the percentage of students who participated in an experiential learning opportunity (internship, research, study abroad, etc.)
- 78, the percentage of graduates who are Illinois residents and stayed in the state.
- 49, the number of states, including Illinois, where students found first destinations.
- 25, the number of other countries where students found first destinations.
- $75,847, the average salary for a full-time-employed recent graduate.