Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research

First Destination Survey

UW-Madison uses a First Destination Survey to learn about future plans of our bachelor’s degree recipients.

Schools/Colleges, Departments, Career Services Units, and other employees can click here or on the image below to access internal data via the First Destination Survey Tableau visualization with detailed summary results for campus, by school/college, by major, and by department.

Some highlights for 2023-24 graduates

  • 73% of our grads plan to work, serve in the military, or participate in a volunteer/service program (such as Teach for America or the Peace Corps) after graduation.
  • 26% of graduates plan to attend graduate school or other continuing education.
  • 73% of those planning to work, serve in the military, or participate in a volunteer/service program had accepted a position at the time of graduation.
  • 87% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that UW-Madison prepared them for the next step in their career path.
  • 61% reported completing at least one internship while at UW-Madison, 36% reported volunteering during their time at UW-Madison, 82% reported working while at UW-Madison, 17% completed a clinical, practicum, or student teaching experience, and 54% participated in a research project outside of coursework.
  • The top 10 employers of graduates in 2023-24 were UW Health, UW-Madison, Madison Metropolitan School District, Epic, SSM Health, State of Wisconsin, UnityPoint Meriter, Deloitte, JP Morgan Chase, and Ernst & Young (EY).
  • The most common job titles of graduates are Software Engineer, Registered Nurse, Analyst, Investment Banking Analyst, and Financial Analyst.
  • 45% of those reporting employment were working in Wisconsin, and students reported employment in 43 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, 43 U.S. states/territories, and 24 countries.

screenshot of the visualization showing data from the First Destination Survey

(Note this visualization is only available to UW-Madison employees).

The First Destination Survey meets guidelines of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and allows for standardized reporting around what bachelor’s degree recipients plan immediately after graduation. A copy of the questionnaire is available here.

For more detailed information contact Sara Lazenby.