Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Association of Colleges
and Employers (NACE)?
Who can I call for information?
Can you help me find human resources/staffing or
career counseling professionals to interview?
What is the average starting salary for a new college
graduate?
What are the top qualities employers look for in
college graduates?
What do college students/new grads look for in an employer?
What kind of benefits does a student/new grad look
for?
Does it pay to have a college education?
What are the top jobs and how much do they pay?
What does the job market look like for the Class
of 2009?
How many students will graduate this year?
How do you spell the name...
What is the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)?
Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is a nonprofit association that links college career services professionals and employers of new college graduates. Its membership includes more than 3,100 colleges and universities and employer organizations nationwide.
NACE is the leading source of information about the employment of college graduates: Throughout the year, the association surveys on data relevant to the employment of new college graduates and publishes related reports, including a quarterly report on starting salary offers and periodic forecasts for the college job market. In addition, NACE publishes a wide variety of professional resources to assist its members in their roles and is the publisher of the Job Choices magazine series, the premier recruitment publication for the college market.
NACE maintains a virtual press room for the media at www.naceweb.org/press.
Who can I call for information?
You can call (800/544-5272 or 610/868-1421, Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern) or e-mail any of the following people:
Mimi Collins, director of information, ext. 119
Edwin Koc, director of strategic and foundation research, ext. 164
Camille Luckenbaugh, reseach director, ext. 111
Andrea Koncz, employment information manager, ext. 121
Kevin Gray, associate editor, ext. 139
Pattie Giordani, associate editor, ext. 118
Claudia Allen, editor/web content and production manager, ext. 129
Jennifer Rutt, NACElink
director, ext. 120
Can you help me find human resources/staffing or career counseling professionals to interview?
Yes. We can give you the names and phone numbers of employers who recruit/hire students and new college graduates or career services professionals who work with college students.
What is the average starting salary for a new college graduate?
There is no single average salary for all college graduates. NACE can provide you with average salaries by specific discipline, e.g., electrical engineering, and can also provide you with average salaries by broad category, e.g., all engineering majors.
What are the top personal qualities employers look for in college graduates?
The top 5 personal qualities/skills employers seek, according to NACE's Job Outlook 2009 survey, are:
- Communication skills (verbal and written)
- Strong work ethic
- Teamwork skills (works well with others)
- Initiative
- Analytical skills
What do college students/new grads look for in an employer?
Students responding to NACE's 2008 Graduating Student & Alumni Survey listed their criteria for choosing an employer as follows:
- Opportunity for advancement
- Job security
- Quality of employer's benefit package
- Friendly co-workers
- Location of the job
What kind of benefits does a student/new grad look for?
Students responding to NACE's 2008 Graduating Student & Alumni Survey have made it clear that while salaries are important, benefits also matter to them. Overall, students rated medical insurance, yearly salary increases, 401(k) plan, and dental and life insurance as the most important benefits to them. Other benefits students look for, in order of importance, are:
- Medical insurance
- Annual salary increases
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Dental insurance
- Life insurance
- Family-friendly benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Bonus/commission
- Flextime
- Pension plan
Does it pay to have a college education?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says, "The more you learn, the more you earn—and the less likely you are to be unemployed." They have put together this handy chart to prove the point.
What are the top jobs and how much do they pay?
According to our Fall 2008 Salary Survey:
Top Jobs for 2007-08 Grads
| Job Function | Average Salary Offer |
|---|---|
| Teaching | $36,755 |
| Sales | $41,179 |
| Registered Nurse | $50,083 |
| Management Trainee (Entry-Level Mgmt.) | $41,807 |
| Consulting | $55,452 |
| Financial/Treasury Analysis | $50,977 |
| Project Engineering | $56,152 |
| Accounting (Private) | $47,287 |
| Design/Construction Engineering | $54,499 |
| Accounting (Public) | $47,392 |
Source: Fall 2008 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers. All data are for bachelor's degree candidates. Ranking is based on number of offers reported.
What does the job market look like for the Class of 2009?
Employers have revised their original hiring projections and now expect their college hiring to stay even with last year's levels.
In light of volatile financial markets, NACE re-polled employers that had provided college hiring projections in August. In comparison to their actual hires from the Class of 2008, respondents expect to hire about 1.3 percent more graduates from the Class of 2009.
The decreased expectation for college hiring that occurred between August and October was broadly felt across industries. Only government as a sector saw a signficant increase in hiring expectations (an increase of 19.8 percent), while manufacturing and professional services remain essentially flat. All other industry categories decreased their hiring projections for the Class of 2009.
How many students will graduate this year?
The National Center for Education Statistics has a publication titled "Projections of Education Statistics to 2015" in which they project that there will be 1,523,000 graduates from the class of 2007-08.
How do you spell the name...
You can check the spelling of the names of any of NACE's staff by using our staff directory. You can check titles there, too.
