Gallup Research Shows 62% Increase in Alumni Median Personal Earnings for Career Education Colleges and Universities

A new Gallup research study of student satisfaction among graduates of a selection of the nation’s career education colleges and universities found a 62% increase in median personal earnings for the graduates surveyed. The Gallup research, commissioned by CECU, was conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 19, 2018 and includes responses from 3,203 recent CECU member institution alumni. Gallup remains one of the most independent and respected research firms and conducts numerous student and alumni satisfaction surveys among all sectors of higher education. 
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“The Gallup findings that most CECU career colleges and universities provide programs that prepare graduates to enter the workforce quickly, and in jobs that deeply interest them, confirms what was known by our alumni and schools, but little known outside our sector,” said Steve Gunderson, president and CEO of CECU. “This research by Gallup ends the debate regarding outcomes for our schools—Gallup conducted a random selection of the CECU schools and graduates to be interviewed. We are obviously pleased with the results.”

Dawn Royal, senior methodologist at Gallup and the study’s director, notes that “through Gallup’s extensive research, we have learned that the top reason students pursue postsecondary education is to get a good job, more than double the second-most common motivation of general interest and a love of learning. These results show that those attending career colleges and universities are much more likely to have a job related to their certificate or degree major than their peers, which indicates these schools are meeting students’ needs.”

The research also confirmed the sector’s work with military servicemembers and veteran graduates. Over 70% of military and veteran graduates expressed satisfaction with their education and at least three out of four said that their current work is directly related to the degree/certificate in their chosen field of study. The vast majority of veterans said they would recommend their institution to a friend, family member or colleague.

Black and Hispanic alumni also confirmed the quality of their academic experience. More than 8 in 10 graduates had at least one instructor that made them excited about learning. The majority of these graduates said their school was a perfect fit and their education was worth the time.

CECU alumni identifying as either Black or Hispanic totaled 49% compared to 29% for the national comparison group. (1) The survey also found that 71% of CECU respondents were first-generation college students and that alumni were generally older than their peer group (mean age of CECU alumni 36 vs. peer group mean age of 32).


(1) The National comparison group, or peer group, is comprised of recent associate degree holders who graduated between 2007 and 2015. The peer group is reflective of associate degree holders nationally, about 90% of whom attend public and not-for-profit institutions.