2005 Parents of Graduates Survey

Institutional Research Office
February 9, 2006


Since 1999, the Institutional Research Office has been surveying the parents of Macalester graduates to see what their sons or daughters are doing 3 years after graduation.

Parents received a short letter asking specifically about advanced degrees pursued by their son or daughter, with a stamped return envelope. If there was no response from the parents, email was sent to the graduate. Response rates for these surveys in the last five years range from 53% to 69%

Parents were surveyed instead of graduates because they move less often, so surveys were more likely to reach their destination. Hopefully parents were not as busy as the graduates, and would be more likely to respond. In addition, parents generally like to tell you what their sons or daughters are doing.

The 2005 survey again shows around half of our graduates pursuing advanced degrees within 3 years of graduation. Other results are profiled in the tables below:


Graduates Pursuing Advanced Degrees within 3 Years

Class
Year Surveyed
Percentage
1996
1999
55.5
1997
2001
58.3
1998
2001
49.1
1999
2002
53.0
2000
2003
46.8
2001
2004
55.1
2002
2005
53.6

Degrees Pursued by 2002 Graduates

Degree Pursued
Percentage*
Master's
36.3%
Doctorate
11.4
Law
8.9
Medical
5.1

* graduates may have pursued more than one degree

Of those who pursued a master's degree, 30% had completed it within 3 years. Of those who enrolled in law programs, 24% had completed their degree.

Institutions Most Commonly Attended by 2002 Graduates

Master's Doctorate Law Medical

Univ of Minnesota
Univ of Wisconsin
Columbia Univ
Univ of California
Yale Univ
Johns Hobkins Univ
Hamline Univ
London School of Economics

Univ of California
Yale Univ
Univ of Illinois, Urbana
Univ of Washington, Seattle

Univ of Minnesota
New York Univ
Univ of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Univ of Minnesota
(no more than one student each at the other 8 institutions)


Most Common Fields of Study by 2002 Graduates

Master's Doctorate

Education
Environmental Science
Public Policy
Social Work
International Relations/Affairs
Psychology

Chemistry
Economics
Engineering
Physics/Astronomy

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The Complete Tables

The tables below show complete listings of institutions and fields of study for graduates who pursued advanced degrees. The tables included are:

Master's Field of Study
Number of Graduates
Education
12
Envir Sciences
5
Public Policy
5
Social Work
5
Intl Rel/Affair
4
Psychology
4
Bus Admin, Mgmt
3
Comm, Media St
3
Economics
3
Geology
3
Music
3
Public Health
3
Engineering
2
English/Creative Writing
2
Health Sciences
2
Library Sci
2
Nursing
2
Physics/Astronomy
2
Rehab Therapy
2
Religion/Theology
2
Theater Arts
2
Urban/Reg Plan
2
Unspecified
2
Anthropology
1
Biology
1
Classics
1
Computer Sci
1
E Asian Lan/Lit
1
Geography
1
Historic Preservation
1
Mathematics
1
Political Sci
1
Sociology
1
Visual/Perf Art
1

Doctorate Field of Study
Number of Graduates
Chemistry
3
Economics
3
Engineering
3
Physics/Astronomy
3
Biology
2
Clinical Psych
2
Anthropology
1
Classics
1
Computer Sci
1
English Lan/Lit
1
Geology
1
Mathematics
1
Political Sci
1
Social Sciences
1
Sociology
1
Theological St
1

Master's Institution
Number Attending
Univ Minnesota
11
Univ of Wisconsin
5
Columbia Univ, NY
4
Hamline Univ
3
Johns Hopkins Univ
3
London Sch of Econ
3
Univ of California
3
Yale Univ
3
Brandeis Univ
2
Coll St Catherine, St P
2
Harvard Univ
2
Univ of Illinois, Urbana
2
Univ of Oregon
2
Univ of Wyoming
2
Unspecified
2
Washington Univ, St Louis
2
American Univ, DC
1
Antioch Univ, New Engl
1
Art Institute of Chicago
1
Bank Street College, NY
1
Bowling Green Univ
1
Buena Vista Univ
1
George Washington Univ
1
Georgetown Univ
1
Georgia State Univ
1
Indiana Univ, Indianapols
1
Jewish Theol Sem
1
Long Island Univ
1
Manhattan Sch of Music
1
New School University
1
Northern Arizona Univ
1
Pace University
1
Roosevelt Univ
1
School for Intl Training
1
Simmons College
1
SUNY, Albany
1
Tufts Univ
1
Univ de Bruxelles, Belgium
1
Univ of Bonn, Germany
1
Univ of Chicago
1
Univ of Colorado, Boulder
1
Univ of Connecticut
1
Univ of Iowa
1
Univ of Michigan, Ann Abr
1
Univ of Nebraska, Lincoln
1
Univ of Pennsylvania
1
Univ of San Francisco
1
Univ of St Thomas
1
Univ Washington, Seattle
1
Vanderbilt Univ
1
Western Washington Univ
1

Doctorate Institution
Number Attending
Univ of California
4
Univ of Illinois, Urbana
3
Yale Univ
3
Univ Washington, Seattle
2
Boston Univ
1
Calif Inst of Integral St
1
Columbia Univ, NY
1
Harvard Univ
1
London Sch of Econ
1
Princeton Univ
1
SUNY, Albany
1
Univ N Carolina, Chapel H
1
Univ of Chicago
1
Univ of Michigan, Ann Abr
1
Univ of S Mississippi
1
Univ of Texas, Austin
1
Univ of Wisc, Madison
1
Univ of Wyoming
1
Vanderbilt Univ
1

Law Institution
Number Attending
Univ Minnesota, T Cities
3
New York Univ
2
Univ of Michigan, Ann Abr
2
Brooklyn Law School
1
Columbia Univ, NY
1
Golden Gate Univ
1
Hamline Univ
1
Illinois Inst Tech
1
Indiana Univ, Bloomington
1
Tulane Univ
1
Univ of New Mexico
1
Univ of Oregon
1
Univ of Pennsylvania
1
Univ of San Diego
1
Univ of Wisc, Madison
1
Univ Washington, Seattle
1
Wm Mitchell Law School
1

Medical Institution
Number Attending
Univ Minnesota
4
Creighton Univ
1
Northwestern Univ
1
Northwstn Health Sci Univ
1
Oregon Health Sci Univ
1
Touro College
1
Univ College, Cork
1
Univ N Carolina, Chapel H
1
Univ of Calif, San Frcsco
1

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9 February 2006