Fairfield Students Achieve Near-Perfect Placement Rate for Eighth Consecutive Year
After following up with the Class of 2019, the Career Center confirmed that 98 percent of students secured full-time employment, placement in a graduate or professional school, or are participating in a volunteer service program within six months after graduating. The average starting salary for the Class of 2019 is $58,830, excluding bonuses.
“It is evident that with 98% of our recent graduates employed, enrolled in full-time graduate studies, or serving in volunteer service organizations, the education and professional development programs our students receive while attending Fairfield is valued by the external community. This speaks highly of the marketability of our students as they leave Fairfield,” said Susanne Quinlivan, associate director of Career Services in the Career Center.
More than 47 percent of the students from the Class of 2019 obtained employment through Fairfield University's senior year campus recruiting and employment resources. Healthcare/nursing was the highest area of placement at 20.8 percent. Additionally, 47.1 percent of students gained employment through internships, and 29.8 percent from networking or direct applications – a jump from 20.1 percent.
Through the Career Center, students have a number of resources available to them including Job Shadow Day, employer immersion experiences, career and internship fairs, on-campus recruiting, Stags4Hire, and internships. Through these opportunities, students obtain real-world experience and build relationships and industry connections, which often result in employment offers from the companies where they interned.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, a total of 605 members of the Class of 2019 reported participating in internships during their time at Fairfield. In addition to securing full-time employment, 23.2 percent of students gained admission into graduate school, with the greatest number entering programs in business, education, arts and sciences, engineering, healthcare, and law.
The next Career and Internship Fair will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020 from 12 - 2 p.m. at the RecPlex.