Arizona State University is among the top 16 percent in the world for graduate employability — ahead of such universities as Pennsylvania State, Georgetown, Ohio State and Michigan State — according to an international survey of 500 higher education institutions.
The survey of “world’s best universities,” released by QS World University Rankings, measures five key indicators of a university’s success in “producing the world’s most employable graduates, fostering industry connections between employers and students.” The indicators include employer reputation, alumni outcomes, partnerships with employers, employer-student connections and graduate employment rate. The comparison of employability outcomes achieved by higher education institutions is based on feedback by 30,000 employers and an evaluation of more than 200,000 work-placement partnerships.
“Working with private and public partners in the community, across the country and around the world, ASU has become a recognized leader in successfully preparing our students to enter meaningful careers,” said Grace O’Sullivan, ASU assistant vice president of corporate engagement and strategic partnerships. “Our students are prepared to bring innovation and decision-making skills to the marketplace during a time of rapid social, economic and technological change. Employers partner with the university to ensure the right set of skills is being taught in the classroom and they can trust that ASU is capable of producing top talent because they’ve been along for the ride from the outset.”
Among ASU highlights in the international survey, the university scored 99.9 percent out of 100 in student-employer connections, second among international universities to China’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The score is a comparative measurement of employers actively present at a university, “increasing the opportunities that students have to participate in career-launching internships and research opportunities.”
ASU also earned a 99.3-percent score for partnerships with employers per faculty, a category measuring two factors: successful university collaborations with global companies to produce citable and transformative research, and work placement-related partnerships.
The most recent ranking by QS follows similarly prestigious recognition of ASU for graduate employability. More than 50 of America’s major corporations have elevated ASU to an elite designation in recruiting graduates; successful ASU research, educational and entrepreneurial partnerships with internet pioneers like Google, Yelp and GoDaddy; financial powerhouses, including Vanguard and Charles Schwab; State Farm and Geico among insurance leaders; tech giants such as Intel, Avnet, Dell and HP; health care research partners Mayo Clinic, Barrow Neurological Institute and Honor Health; are among those who are increasing their pipelines to talent at ASU.
Cindy Parnell, executive director of ASU Career Services, anticipates an increase in student recruitment by top U.S. and global companies in the coming year. Times Higher Education, American City Business Journals, Business Insider and HiringSolved have placed the university in the top tier among top national and international universities for graduate employability.
“ASU’s national and international rankings, graduation rates and research enterprise have been rising for more than a decade,” she said. “The companies and organizations shaping the future economy have noticed our success and the success of our students.”
Top photo: Freshman Natalie Parker, majoring in sports journalism, listens to a representative from the Girls Scouts about job opportunities at the Downtown Campus Career Fair hosted by ASU Career Services at the A.E. England Building on the Downtown Campus in Phoenix Aug. 19, 2015. Photo by Deanna Dent/ASU News
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