Outcomes of 2015–16 Bachelor’s Degree Recipients 1 Year After Graduation

New data show, 12 months after they graduated, male first-time bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed full time had a median annual income of $41,600. For females, the median annual income was $37,400. The National Center for Education Statistics released a new First Look report today July 10th, entitled Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&B:16/17): A First Look at the Employment and Educational Experiences of College Graduates, 1 Year Later. This report examines outcomes of 2015–16 bachelor’s degree recipients 1 year after graduation. The report uses data from the 2016/17 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:16/17). Key findings include the following: Forty-four percent of 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients completed their degree 48 months or less after first enrolling in postsecondary education. Twelve months after graduating, 67 percent of 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients were employed but not enrolled in additional education, 12 percent were both employed and enrolled, 6 percent were enrolled but not employed, 9 percent were out of the labor force, and 6 percent were unemployed. Among all 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients, 42 percent had parents who had not earned a bachelor’s degree, 19 percent were married or had dependents, and 27 percent began postsecondary education at a 2-year-or-less institution. Among 2015–16 first-time bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed full time 12 months after graduating, 47 percent had a salaried job and 75 percent had a job that offered benefits.