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Alumni Survey, Summer 2007

Comparison of 2003 and 2007 Results

Several survey questions changed from 2003 to 2007, either in terms of number of response options, wording, or the way in which they were displayed in web-based versus paper formats, and could not therefore be compared directly. For those questions that were essentially unchanged, we compared responses of alumni over time. A table of percentage distributions for the responses to each of these questions is available, and serves as the basis of the following discussion.

The question concerning annual salary revealed some interesting changes. Reported salaries increased from 2003 to 2007 for bachelor's recipients, were virtually unchanged for master's recipients, and decreased for doctoral recipients. In 2003, 10% of bachelor's recipients reported earning $55,000-$79,999 annually. In 2007, this percentage was notably higher (24%). For doctoral recipients, the reverse occurred: 40% reported earning $50,000-$79,999 in 2003, versus 19% in 2007. Considering those who reported earning $40,000 per year or more, bachelor's recipients experienced a 16 percentage-point increase over this four-year period, whereas doctoral recipients experienced a 14 percentage-point decrease. Master's recipients' salaries in this range stayed the same.

The results suggest a trend among master's recipients of taking additional courses, with the goal of a doctoral degree. The percentage of master's recipients who reported that they had taken courses toward an additional degree increased from 22% in 2003 to 29% in 2007. In addition, somewhat more master's recipients reported in 2007 that they planned to earn a doctoral degree (36% versus 29% in 2003). Master's recipients' striving for further education might be motivated by their relatively flat reported salaries over time.

Bachelor's recipients appear in 2007 to be somewhat more satisfied with their respective programs of study. The percentage who responded "yes, definitely" to the question "overall, did your program of study at CU-Boulder meet your educational goals" was 61% in 2007, up somewhat from 2003 (52%). Master's recipients' satisfaction with their programs of study was down slightly in 2007, with 62% reporting that their respective programs "definitely" met their educational goals (in 2003, 64% reported this). Doctoral recipients appeared even less satisfied in 2007 than in 2003 (70% said "definitely" to this question in 2007 versus 82% in 2003). This finding might be related to the decrease in average salaries they have experienced over this period. However, doctoral recipients were more likely in 2007 than in 2003 to say that they would recommend CU-Boulder with "no reservations" (51% versus 41%, respectively). For bachelor's recipients and master's recipients, the percentages making this recommendation changed very little from 2003 to 2007 (55% and 58%, respectively, for bachelor's recipients; 52% and 51% for master's recipients).
 

Last revision 12/03/07