The News conducted a survey consisting of 18 questions wrapping up the Class of 2020’s past four years at Yale. Out of 1,386 seniors, 337 responded, a response rate of 24.2%. The survey was delivered Sunday, May 10 and was closed on May 13. Here’s a closer look at the numbers:
Oh, the Places They’ll Go
As the members of the class of 2020 finish their Yale careers, nearly two-thirds of survey respondents indicated that they will call one of the two American coasts home after leaving the Elm City.
- 9 percent of students indicated that they plan to leave the United States post-graduation. Of these students, half will relocate to the United Kingdom.
- 18 percent of students who responded plan to live in New York, a train ride away from their alma mater. Massachusetts follows as the second most popular state with 14 percent of respondents calling the state home next year.
- 10 percent of the class of 2020 will stay in the state of Connecticut following the conclusion of their undergraduate education.
- 31 percent of survey respondents who participated in Greek life will enter finance or consulting, compared to 19 percent of respondents not involved in these social organizations.
- 13 percent of survey respondents who participated in Greek life will work in the tech industry in the year after graduation, more than double the proportion of respondents not involved in these social organizations (6 percent).
- 8 percent of survey respondents who participated in Greek life will work in healthcare, about double the proportion of respondents not involved in these social organizations (4 percent).
- 29 percent of survey respondents not involved with Greek life will work in academia/research in the year after graduation, almost triple the proportion of respondents involved in these social organizations (11 percent).
Money Talks
While the average college graduate in the United States earns around $51,000 in their first jobs out of graduation, the newest crop of Yalies will net, on average, over $70,000 in their first year out of college. Gender discrepancies seem minimal, as female Yalies reported an average starting income of $70,600 while male respondents came in at just about $70,100.
- 42 percent of surveyed Yale seniors will earn wages larger than $70,000 in their first year out of graduation, including 13 percent who expect to net six figures.
- Only four percent of survey respondents indicated that they will earn less than $30,000 in their first positions.
- 45 percent of male graduates expect to earn more than $70,000 post-graduation, compared to the 41 percent of female surveyees that answered the same. 15 percent of male graduates indicated that they will earn six figures, while 12 percent of female graduates indicated the same.
- 28 percent of respondents in the class of 2020 anticipate receiving a bonus within their first year of work; on average, those who expect to receive a bonus totaled their raise at $22,000.
- 89 percent of surveyees who intend to go into finance expect to receive a bonus within their first year on the job with an average bonus amount of $35,000, which is well above the survey average. Only six percent of respondents going into academia/research predict a raise in their first year with an average bonus amount of $18,000.
Helping Hand
- 17 percent of graduating seniors will end their undergraduate careers with student loans; of those that graduated with student loans, more than half indicated that this affected their post-graduation plans to some degree. 11 percent indicated that their loans strongly influence their future endeavors.
- Nearly 65 percent of the class of 2020 indicated that their family’s economic situation guided their future plans; of those, one in five indicated that this effect was strong. Around 12 percent expressed that their family’s status had a neutral effect while around 23 percent disagreed that it had any effect at all.
- Just above 40 percent of the class of 2020 expects to receive financial assistance from their parent or guardian following graduation — most of whom responded that this contribution would be at least somewhat substantial.
The Yale Experience
The graduating class of 2020 bleeds Yale Blue through and through. On average, they rated their experience at Yale to be an 8.4 out of 10. They value the traditions and community at Yale, with over half of the graduating class participating in a senior society. They are intellectually curious, with their top five recommended classes spanning across all disciplines. And they are loyal, with a majority of seniors reporting that objectively, their residential college is the best.
The Numbers:
- 54 percent of survey respondents were in a senior society
- 65 percent of the time, surveyees said that the best residential college was their own
Top 5 Recommended Classes:
- HIST 271: European Intellectual History since Nietzsche
- PLSC 257: Bioethics and Law
- ENAS 400: Making it
- ENGL 121: Styles of Acad & Prof Prose
- PSYC 110: Introduction to Psychology
Is there really such a thing as “Sterling people” and “Bass people”? The News asked the seniors, and it appears there is:
Daniel Kim | d.j.kim@yale.edu
Ashley Qin | ashley.qin@yale.edu