Apr. 15, 2019
The number of St. Edward’s University graduates thriving in their post-collegiate life is almost double the national average, according to a survey completed by the Gallup-Purdue Index in 2018.
The Gallup-Purdue Index is a nationally representative survey of U.S. college graduates measuring well-being and college experiences, among other important outcomes of higher education that lead to “Great Jobs, Great Lives.” It is the first time St. Edward’s has participated in the survey, which is aimed at providing insights to the higher education sector that could lead to improvements for graduates.
Among the national comparisons, Gallup reveals that St. Edward’s University graduates are nearly twice as likely to prosper in all five of the survey’s well-being measures: having purpose and meaning in life, enjoying supportive personal relationships, feeling a sense of financial security, liking and taking pride in one’s community, and experiencing good health.
St. Edward’s also excels in the category of college experiences, including mentorship, emotional support, and project-based learning and internships. These experiences are understood to be a cornerstone of success in career and life after graduation, according to research. The survey shows that alumni of St. Edward’s rank their college experiences significantly above average. For example:
- 72 percent had a job or internship that allowed them to apply what they were learning in the classroom, compared with 62 percent of alumni nationally.
- 85 percent had at least one professor who made them excited about learning, compared with 70 percent nationally.
- Close to twice as many had professors who cared about them as a person, compared to the national average.
“The strong results of the survey confirm that St. Edward’s is fulfilling our mission, which calls us to offer a highly personalized, caring and relevant learning environment that inspires and engages our students, encouraging them to fulfill their dreams,” said Andrew Prall, provost of St. Edward’s. “Our alumni certainly are thriving as they pursue lives of achievement and well-being.”
Citing the survey’s measure of graduates’ perceived value of their college education, Prall said he is especially pleased that “our alumni gave St. Edward’s high marks for being passionate about their long-term success, challenging them academically and preparing them well for life after college.”
Graduates also weighed in on career services and workplace engagement. In both areas, alumni of St. Edward’s fare better than the national average among those who visited the career services office at least once while a student, and in overall enthusiasm for their current work and job performance.
“We recognize that one of the keys to a rewarding career is to begin the journey early, exploring a variety of potential career interests — most often through internships, community service, research opportunities, part-time jobs and other types of experiential learning,” says Raymond Rogers, director of Career and Professional Development. “St. Edward’s continues to build and improve on this approach. And we're happy to see this survey support our own findings — that these early experiences are making a difference in the success of our graduates.”