Class of 2022 Employment Rate Matched Pre-Pandemic Level

BETHLEHEM, PA—The employment rates for Class of 2022 bachelor’s degree graduates returned to pre-pandemic levels after two relatively down years, according to results of a new survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

NACE’s First-Destination Survey for the Class of 2022 revealed that the overall employment rate—the percentage of graduates employed full time and part time—for Class of 2022 bachelor’s graduates was 64.0% and the class’s full-time employment rate was 59.1%.

These nearly match the employment rates for the pre-pandemic Class of 2019 (64.6% overall; 59.7% full time).

In addition, they compare favorably to the employment rates for the Class of 2020 (58.6% overall; 53.6% full time) and the Class of 2021 (60.2% overall; 55.3% full time), both of which were heavily impacted by the pandemic.

“Driving the upswing for the Class of 2022 was an exceptionally strong labor market, characterized by record low levels of unemployment,” explains Shawn VanDerziel, NACE’s president and chief executive officer.

Likewise, the overall outcomes rate for Class of 2022 bachelor’s graduates returned to 86%, the same mark as that for the Class of 2019. (See “About the Survey” for the outcomes rate definition.)

Further proof of the strong labor market the Class of 2022 graduated into was the increase in average starting salary: It climbed to $61,869, up from $58,862 for the Class of 2021.

In addition, nearly one in four bachelor’s degree graduates who attained full-time employment was granted a bonus—an average of $9,966 on top of their base salary.

“It is likely that employers used bonuses as a means to counter inflation, which was about 6.5% at the time,” VanDerziel says.

About NACE’s First-Destination Survey for the Class of 2022: This survey gathers information about the outcomes of college Class of 2022 graduates six months after the end of the academic year (June 30, 2022). The overall outcomes rate is defined as the percentage of graduates who, within six months of graduation, are:

• Employed full time;
• Employed part time;
• Enrolled in a program of continuing education;
• Participating in a program of voluntary service; and
• Serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Overall, NACE received responses from 344 schools/career centers detailing results for their 2022 graduates in four-year degree programs. In total, the graduating classes of these reporting institutions represent nearly 829,000 graduates: more than 594,000 at the bachelor’s degree level, more than 187,000 at the master’s level, nearly 31,000 earning the doctoral degree, and more than 16,000 at the associate level. Both the survey report and its results dashboard are available on NACEWeb.

About the National Association of Colleges and Employers: Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is the only professional association in the United States that connects 12,300 college career services professionals, more than 4,000 early career talent acquisition professionals, and more than 400 business solution providers that serve this community.

NACE is the premier source of market research on career readiness, the employment of recent college graduates, and the college-to-career transition. NACE forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

NACE offers its members unparalleled research, networking and professional development opportunities, guidance on standards and ethics, and advocacy on key issues. For more information, visit www.naceweb.org. NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media.