Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Kansas State University students are landing jobs soon after graduation, according to a university report.

Kerri Day Keller, director of the university's Career and Employment Services, notes that 94 percent of the university's graduates in 2013-2014 are employed or pursuing advanced degrees. That's up 1 percent from the previous year's report.

"We have seen a gradual increase," Keller said. "It's probably explained through some of the slowly recovering economy. It is notable that our seeking percentage — the number of students still seeking employment six months after graduation — was only 4 percent this year, which is the lowest it's been in the past five years. Five years ago, it was twice that."

An additional 2 percent of the university's graduates were occupied in other noncareer activities.

"There is a lot of scrutiny right now on whether a college degree is worth it," Keller said. "When you look at the fact that our students are getting jobs, and you see the kind of professional jobs that many of our graduates are going into and see the salary statistics, you'll see that our graduates are going on and really making a good investment in their future by getting a degree from Kansas State University."

The university's report is based on information collected from students receiving bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees — or more than 3,000 undergraduates and 1,000 postgraduates.

Keller said that about 60 percent of the graduates stayed in Kansas and 77 percent in the nearby region. Texas and California also attracted a rising number of the university's graduates, and there was a slight increase in students gaining employment overseas.

Career and Employment Services helps students with such skills as interviewing and resume-writing, and hosts campus career fairs to help students meet prospective employers — and vice versa. Still, Keller says it's up to the students to go get the job.

"One of the things that the new report probably says about this generation and about K-State students is that while a degree is a pretty good investment, it still does take additional effort on an individual's part to be marketable in today's economy and the world we live in," she said. "That's another great thing about K-State; many of our students pursue internships and leadership involvement on campus, and pursue study abroad and other experiences that complement their academic experience. They're very marketable in the eyes of employers."

The university annually publishes employment and salary statistics of recent graduates. The report is available at http://www.k-state.edu/ces/students/hiringsalaryinformation.html.