Posted 8:35 a.m. Thursday, June 11, 2020
UWL grads see salaries rise after graduation, data shows.
UWL grads see salaries rise after graduation, data shows
UW-La Crosse graduates earn a median salary of $45,000 one year after receiving their bachelor’s degree and can expect their pay to steadily climb, a new analysis shows.
According to data compiled by Equifax, the median salary for UWL graduates with a bachelor’s degree increases from $45,000 at the one-year mark to $57,000 at the three-year mark. Five years after graduation, the median earner takes home $63,000 annually.
This young talent is also staying close to home. Nearly 90% of UWL graduates who were Wisconsin residents at the time of graduation choose to live and work in the state.
“The graduate outcomes data demonstrates that UWL graduates earn solid salaries in many sectors of the economy,” says Natalie Solverson, director of institutional research at UWL. Not only that — “they choose to stay in Wisconsin, where they can continue to stay engaged in our communities.”
Data on graduate outcomes can be a useful recruiting tool, demonstrating the value of a UWL education. It also shows that funding UWL and other System schools is a sound investment for taxpayers.
UWL’s graduate outcomes closely mirror those for the UW System as a whole, where the median salary is $50,000 after one year and $66,000 after five years.
The median salary for UWL graduates is slightly lower than that of UW System graduates overall largely because UWL does not have a bachelor’s program in engineering. Across the System, engineering was the most lucrative career path after five years, although graduates from all degree programs saw their earnings increase over time.
“I have long believed there is no better investment for the state of Wisconsin than the University of Wisconsin System and that the UW System is a terrific investment for our students as well,” says Andrew S. Petersen, president of the UW System Board of Regents. “When Wisconsin taxpayers invest in the UW System, our universities produce educated, successful graduates who contribute to their communities and to the economy. When individuals invest in a UW System education, their earning potential skyrockets.”