Valparaiso University 2015–2016 Alumni Achieve 96 Percent Graduate Placement Rate

Graduate Placement Exceeds 90 Percent for 24 Consecutive Years

More than 90 percent of recent Valpo graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school for the 24th straight year.

The overall placement rate for 2015–2016 alumni is 96.1 percent, up nearly four points from last year. The knowledge rate is 93.7 percent, significantly higher than the national recommended minimum of 65 percent. For the past five years, the average placement rate is 94.3 percent.

“Our alumni consistently achieve career and graduate school placement across the country and around the world and exemplify the high standards of excellence we hold at Valparaiso University,” said Mark A. Heckler, Ph.D., president. “Their success is a testament to Valpo’s intellectually rigorous and innovative education, as well as our gifted faculty and dedicated staff who provide the resources and mentoring necessary for graduates to succeed.”

Each year, Valparaiso University’s Career Center sponsors nearly 100 career preparation opportunities including networking events, mock interviews, panel discussions and professional development workshops. In addition, the Career Center hosts two major career fairs, both with more than 100 employers in attendance.

2015–2016 alumni have secured employment across the country, in companies such as Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Motorola Solutions, Caterpillar, Weber Shandwick, Accuweather and Texas Instruments. Graduate schools include Purdue University, Marquette University, Vanderbilt University, Northwestern University, Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Notre Dame.

Highlights of the 2017 Graduate Report include:

  • Graduates are working or studying in 36 states, the District of Columbia and nine countries outside the United States. More than 30 percent of the 2015–2016 alumni work or attend graduate school in Indiana.
  • Eleven respondents are involved in full-time service: five at AmeriCorps and one each at ELCA–Young Adults in Global Mission, City Year, Holden Village, Jerusalem School of Bethlehem, Mercy Home and Valparaiso High School.
  • Three respondents are in the Armed Forces: two in the Air Force and one in the Army.
  • One graduate was awarded a Fulbright scholarship in Germany.
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