Career Development Statistics

Each year the Career Development Center conducts a comprehensive, on-line First Destination Survey of the most recent graduating class. The survey is initially distributed via email 6 months after graduation and then once a month through early February. Student Ambassadors then telephone alumni over a four day period to collect the final responses. For the Class of 2011’s First Destination Survey, the response rate was 37%.

You can view specific statistics about the Class of 2011 here:

Survey Summary

• 92% of graduates are currently employed or continuing their education.
• 77% of graduates are satisfied with their current post‐graduation status.
• 88% of the graduates who are currently employed felt they were prepared by their Mercyhurst education.
• 87% of the graduates who are continuing their education felt they were prepared by their Mercyhurst education.
• 35% are placed within Erie County; 44% are placed with 50 miles, and 59% are placed within 150 miles.
• 100% placement in:
• Master’s Level: Anthropology and Special Education
• Baccalaureate Level: Accounting, Anthropology/Archaeology, Art Education, Biochemistry, Biology (BA & BS), Chemistry (BA & BS), Computer Systems Analysis, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, English, Fashion Merchandising, Geology, Graphic Design, Hotel/Restaurant Management, Interior Design, Intelligence Studies, International Business, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sportsmedicine
• 77% of graduates who completed a co‐op, internship, or externship felt this experience had a significant or very significant impact on securing employment or continuing their education. In fact, 22% of those students were hired directly by the organization where they completed their co‐op, internship or externship.

Hiring Projections for the Class of 2011

For the Class of 2011, hiring projections, as determined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, improved over the previous year although the national unemployment rate stood at 9.1%, a figure almost identical facing the last two graduating classes. With that in mind, the placement figures for the Class of 2011 remained constant when compared to the class of 2010.