95% of 2023 JMU grads achieve positive career outcomes
JMU News
SUMMARY: Notably, more than 200 graduates reported finding jobs in the teaching profession in Virginia and another 167 respondents stated they were working in nursing in the commonwealth.
More than 2,500 James Madison University undergraduates from the class of 2023 found work within six months of receiving their diplomas, and more than 1,500 of them filled jobs in Virginia, according to the university’s annual career outcomes report.
The report also includes data from 476 graduates who earned advanced degrees; more than 90% of those reported having jobs within six months of graduation.
Notably, more than 200 graduates reported finding jobs in the teaching profession in Virginia and another 167 respondents stated they were working in nursing in the commonwealth. The state is experiencing significant shortages in both professions.
“With K-12 teacher vacancies in the thousands, a healthcare system still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, and an aging baby boomer population, it is critical to provide Virginians — now and in the future — with these skilled workers,” said JMU Interim President Charlie King. “Nearly 77% of JMU’s 2023 graduates are teaching in Virginia and 77% of nursing majors are now employed in the state. Locally, our graduates can be found in Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Rockingham County Public Schools, Sentara and Valley Health. JMU is investing in our community in the areas that are needed most.”
A majority of JMU bachelor’s degree recipients are working in Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland and New York. In Virginia, 43% of respondents found work in Northern Virginia, 26% in Central Virginia and 20% in the Shenandoah Valley.
Of the respondents who earned advanced degrees, 32% worked in the Shenandoah Valley, 30% worked in Northern Virginia and 25% worked in Central Virginia.
The College of Business had the highest percentage of graduates entering the workforce (87%), followed by the College of Integrated Science and Engineering at 81%. Another 10% of graduates from those colleges indicated they were continuing their education.
The university conferred 4,434 undergraduate degrees and 751 graduate degrees to the class of 2023. Of those, 3,378 bachelor’s-degree recipients (76%) and 476 graduate degree recipients (63%), were included in the survey.
