Northwestern College’s 2023 graduates have achieved a 99% placement rate, with 81% employed and 18% in grad school within six months of graduation.
Data was collected through a survey conducted by the college’s Compass Center for Career and Calling, using the First-Destination Survey of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and following NACE guidelines and protocols. Northwestern’s survey response rate of 100% far exceeds the national standard of 65% set by NACE.
“It is exciting to see this latest group of Northwestern graduates launch from college to career,” says Dr. Elizabeth Pitts, director of the Compass Center. “They are prepared for meaningful work and flourishing lives, as evidenced by these impressive statistics—but also by their stories of growth and investment. They are pursuing God’s redeeming work in their workplaces and beyond.”
Sanford Health, Vanderbilt University, EY, Sioux Falls Christian School, Colorado Legal Services and Interstates are just a few of the more than 135 companies and organizations that hired Northwestern’s 2023 graduates.
Among the roles members of the class of 2023 now hold are those of a marketing specialist, art gallery manager, social worker, probation officer, software developer, pediatric nurse, high school language arts teacher, and audit associate.
The average reported salary for class of 2023 graduates who are employed full time was $47,702. The maximum salary reported was $94,600.
Approximately 18% of the class of 2023 are continuing their education in graduate programs ranging from medicine to integrated media communications. They are studying at schools that include Northwestern University, Lincoln Memorial University College of Dental Medicine, Iowa State, and the universities of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Last year’s graduates are now living and working in 25 states, two other countries, and Washington, D.C., with 58% continuing to live and work in Iowa.
For more information about the 99% placement rate of the class of 2023, visit nwciowa.edu/2023-outcomes.
