The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has recently released some exciting compiled data that was created via the International Network of Graduate Recruitment and Development Associations (INGRADA).

As I was reading and reflecting on the information, it occurred to me how important it is - particularly in our current global marketplace/recruiting space - that we are aware of how the US is comparing to other countries around the world.

Here are a few "tidbits" from the results:

INGRADA links major college and university recruitment associations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. The association’s Global Graduate Report contains results from six countries and covers new undergraduate starting salaries, offer-acceptance rates, vacancy figures, retention rates, and the costs associated with hiring new college graduates.

U.S. college graduates from the Class of 2009 saw base annual pay fall 1.2 percent from the previous class. Australian grads also saw a drop (0.77 percent), while those in the United Kingdom saw no change. Meanwhile, graduates entering the work force in South Africa (4.3 percent) and Canada (3.6 percent) benefitted from healthy increases.

In other areas, results from the United States compared favorably. Despite having the second-lowest average graduate retention after one year (92 percent; South Africa had the lowest at 90 percent), employers in the United States registered the second-highest average graduate retention after five years (70 percent; Hong Kong was the highest at 75 percent).

If you are interested, you can view the full results here, but please be aware you do need to be a member of one of the associations involved in INGRADA. If you are a member of one of the organizations outside of the US, you can access the information through their website.


The International Network of Graduate Recruitment and Development Associations (INGRADA - www.ingrada.org) is comprised of associations from countries worldwide, serving professionals engaged in the career development, recruitment and hiring of college and university graduates, of which NACE is a founding member.