Two weeks ago, the National Center for Education Statistics released a report with the long title “Baccalaureate and Beyond (B&BL16/17): A First Look at the Employment and Educational Experiences of College Graduates, 1 Year Later.” This report summarizes the findings from the first follow-up on a nationally representative longitudinal study of students who completed the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in the 2015-16 academic year. The follow-up was conducted in 2017 and was based on a sample of 26,500 students who represent the 2 million recipients of bachelor’s degrees in 2015-16. Here is a selection of the findings:
- 42% of the graduates had parents who had not earned a bachelor’s degree.
- 27% of them began their degree at a 2-year-or-less institution.
- 44% of first-time bachelor’s degree recipients completed their degree within 48 months after first enrolling in postsecondary education.
- 4% of all first-time bachelor’s degree recipients borrowed money to pay for their undergraduate education, averaging $30,500.
- 69% of first-time bachelor’s degree recipients from private nonprofit institutions borrowed money to pay for their undergraduate education, averaging $32,500.
- 65% of first-time bachelor’s degree recipients from public institutions borrowed money to pay for their undergraduate education, averaging $27,900.
- 77% of first-time bachelor’s degree recipients had not enrolled in any additional education within 12 months of completing their bachelor’s degree. 12% had enrolled in a master’s program, and 4% had enrolled in a doctoral degree program.
- 67% of first-time bachelor’s degree recipients were employed only, 12% were both employed and enrolled in additional education, 9% were out of the labor force, 6% were enrolled only, and 6% were unemployed.
- Male first-time bachelor’s degree recipients who were employed full time had a median annual income of $41,600. Females had a median annual income of $37,400.
Higher Education Pedagogy & Policy 
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