UW System Alumni Satisfied With Their Education

Recent University of Wisconsin alumni are highly satisfied with the quality of their UW undergraduate education, according to results of an independent survey released Tuesday by System President Katharine C. Lyall.

Job placement is very high, with only 1.7 percent of the respondents reporting being unemployed and seeking jobs.

“The results of this survey are very important to Wisconsin citizens and taxpayers,” Lyall said. “The survey shows that the state is getting an excellent return on its investment in higher education as measured by the successes of these alumni.”

According to Lyall, the high degree of recent-alumni satisfaction with their UW System education has strong implications for the Wisconsin economy and the investment value for state taxpayers. “We know that the earning power of a college graduate is significantly higher than that of an individual who does not complete a baccalaureate degree,” she said. “And that means these graduates not only reap personal benefits but also contribute commensurately higher amounts in income, sales and property tax revenues to support a rising quality of life for all.”

Among other significant findings of the alumni survey:

• 91 percent of those surveyed said “if they had to do it again,” they would choose to attend their UW System alma mater.
• 95 percent said they would recommend their alma mater to a relative or friend.
• 96 percent said their Wisconsin-based employers and professional colleagues held favorable perceptions of their UW System baccalaureate degrees.
• 95 percent said their non-Wisconsin employers and professional colleagues held the UW System degree in the same esteem.
• Evaluating the cost of their education and investment of time and effort, 86 percent rated their UW education as an “exceptional” or “good” value, while 13 percent rated it as “average.”
• Nearly one-quarter of alumni surveyed (24) said they were “extremely” satisfied with the undergraduate education they received, and an additional one-half (53) said they were “very” satisfied.

The research project is part of the UW System’s annual public “accountability reports” encompassing more than 18 productivity and client-satisfaction indicators. This is the first Systemwide survey of alumni satisfaction indicators and sets the benchmark for future surveys.

The survey was conducted by the Grant Thornton management-consulting and accounting firm with assistance from Hagler Bailly Consulting, Inc. The consultants conducted a random sampling of 1990-91 alumni (bachelor’s degree recipients from August 1990 through December 1991), with a sampling of alumni from each of the 13, degree-granting four-year institutions in proportion to their actual percentage in the UW System alumni population. A total of 2,007 alumni participated in telephone interviews conducted by the consultants between Aug. 21 and Oct. 2, 1996.

CONTACT: Peter D. Fox (608) 262-6448