The overall average income of recent Northwestern alumni stayed relatively consistent for the class of 2015, according to a survey conducted by Northwestern Career Advancement.

The study found that among respondents who provided income data to the NCA survey — about 400 of the more than 1,700 total respondents — the class of 2015 has an overall average salary of $52,742. Last year, using a similar survey, NCA reported the average was $52,156.

In addition, NCA found that more than four out of five members of the class of 2015 are either employed full-time or continuing their education.

Graphic by Rachel Silverstein/The Daily Northwestern

Mark Presnell, NCA’s executive director, said it is essential that his office is transparent about how alumni do after graduating, especially for prospective students and parents.

“When you are making the kind of investment you are making in college, you should know what your outcomes are going to be like,” he said. “The expectation when you come to Northwestern is that you are going to do well after graduation. It is more of making sure we meet those expectations.”

In total, approximately 79 percent of the the class of 2015 participated in the survey, investigating employment status, income and job location. According to the survey, 64 percent of the class has a full-time job, and 20 percent are pursuing graduate or professional school. Only 3 percent are actively seeking jobs.

Among those reporting, McCormick alumni surveyed led the way with an average salary of more than $65,000. Medill alumni saw the largest increase from last year, up to $46,876 from $40,347.

Overall, Presnell said the numbers have been largely consistent since the study started three years ago.

“This is another validation of Northwestern students and their success after graduation,” Presnell said. “These results, since we started doing this survey about three years ago, have been remarkably stable. It says that six months after graduation, the vast majority of our students have found their next career position or goals, and they are actively achieving them.”

This story was updated for clarity at 12:45 a.m.

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