High Satisfaction with the Study Conditions at KIT

How satisfied were graduates with their studies? Would they study at the same university again? How long did it take to find a job after graduation? A joint study of all state universities in Baden-Württemberg, including the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), shows: On average, graduates in the state arrived at work after only two to three months. Half of them even succeeded in starting their careers immediately after graduation. Another result of the study: 80 percent of KIT graduates were very satisfied or satisfied with their studies. Graduates of the classes 2016 to 2018 were surveyed.

"How well graduates manage the transition from studies to professional life says a lot about their qualifications and thus also about the quality of university teaching," says Professor Alexander Wanner, KIT Vice President for Teaching and Academic Affairs. "The results of the graduate survey confirm the high quality of education also at KIT." However, he said, the evaluation does not reflect the current situation, in which the enormous corona-related restrictions in study operations also affected student satisfaction. For the study now published, the nine state universities surveyed their graduates between 2018 and 2020, before the pandemic began.

On average, the KIT graduates surveyed found jobs within three months of graduation, and almost all of them - about 95 percent - found jobs within one year at the latest. The surveys also show that 83 percent of KIT graduates are very satisfied or satisfied with their studies in retrospect. 80 percent would be very likely to choose KIT again, 75 percent would choose the same study program again.

"The results of the survey flow into the internal quality management as well as into the internal accreditation procedure KIT-PLUS," says Nadja Legrum-Khaled, Head of the Quality Management Department. "They complete our holistic view of KIT's study programs so that we can continuously develop them further." KIT-PLUS enables KIT faculties to systematically analyze and advance the quality of their study programs.

Very Good Results at All Nine Baden-Württemberg State Universities

In the course of the Baden-Württemberg Graduate Study, all nine state universities surveyed their graduates between 2018 and 2020 using a standardized questionnaire. The responses of around 23,400 people were included in the study. Across all subject groups, they show a high level of satisfaction (76 percent) with the study situation in Baden-Württemberg and their respective alma mater. In retrospect, nine out of ten graduates would choose to study again. Almost all of those who had not taken up further studies or a doctorate were employed at the latest one and a half years after graduation. The clear majority of them (around 75 percent) assess their current professional situation positively and their job as adequate to their professional competencies. Three out of four graduates are in permanent employment one and a half years after graduation.

Master's degree in demand, doctorate mainly in natural sciences and medicine

After completing a Bachelor's degree, around half of the graduates chose the option of going on to complete a Master's degree. The majority, around two thirds, remained loyal to their university, while eight percent chose a university abroad for their Master's degree. Approximately one third pursued a doctorate, in medicine and the natural sciences even more than half.

About the Baden-Württemberg Graduate Study

The questionnaire for the Baden-Württemberg graduate survey was developed in the "Graduate Study" working group of the state-wide "Quality Development and Strategic Controlling" network of Baden-Württemberg universities. In order to do justice to the individual profiles of the individual universities, the questionnaire is composed of a core questionnaire that is binding for all project partners as well as university-specific questions. The Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, the Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg, the University of Hohenheim, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the Universities of Constance, Mannheim and Stuttgart as well as the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and the University of Ulm took part in the survey. The Baden-Württemberg Graduate Survey has taken place regularly since 2013, and since 2017 all Baden-Württemberg universities have participated in the study.

Results of the Baden-Württemberg graduate survey and evaluation of results for KIT: https://www.sek.kit.edu/5495.php

As "The Research University in the Helmholtz Association", KIT creates and imparts knowledge for society and the environment. Its goal is to make significant contributions to global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. To this end, about 9,600 employees cooperate on a broad disciplinary basis in natural sciences, engineering, economics, and humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 23,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by means of research-oriented university studies. The innovative activities at KIT bridge the gap between knowledge and application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural resources. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.