August 6, 2025
Introduction
A baccalaureate education from the University of Minnesota (UMN) provides alumni with significant long-term earning potential and opportunities for further education. This brief follows one cohort of undergraduate alumni from 2007 over a 15-year period on their post-baccalaureate journey.
Data/Methodology
Using earnings and further educational attainment data from the UMN Postcollegiate Outcomes (PCO) project1, we track the earnings and further educational credentials of the 2007 calendar year system-wide cohort of baccalaureate degree recipients (n=8,581) through 2022.
Key Findings
1. Employment Location
The majority of UMN graduates are employed in the state of Minnesota, although the percentage decreases over time, starting with 74% one year after graduation to 55% 15 years later. This percentage underestimates the number who remain in the state since self-employed individuals, those employed by the federal government, religious non-profits, and independent contractors are not included in the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage data. These percentages will vary across different postcollegiate outcomes tools due to methodological differences. For example, the Census PSEO tool percentage is calculated as the number employed in Minnesota divided by the total number of graduates found employed nationwide, whereas the UMN PCO project divides the number employed in Minnesota in a given year by the total number of graduates in the cohort.
2. UMN Baccalaureate Graduates’ Earnings
In terms of earnings, the UMN baccalaureate credential is strong. For all Minnesota workers aged 25 to 39 who hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median earnings in 2022 were $70,438 in 2024 dollars (including both full-time and part-time workers)2. The median annual earnings, in 2024 dollars, of the 2007 UMN baccalaureate graduates who work in Minnesota exceed this threshold eight years after graduation, at roughly age 30 ($75,261 vs. $70,438). By the 15th year after graduation (2022), when the average UMN graduate would be about age 37, their median earnings are significantly higher ($96,505 vs. $70,438)3. Another way to contextualize the earnings is by comparing them to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce’s (CEW) definition of a good job4, which defines a good job as one paying a minimum of $46,091 in 2024 dollars for full-time, full-year workers between the ages of 25 and 44. The median annual earnings, in 2024 dollars, of the 2007 UMN graduates working both full-time and part-time exceed this threshold within two years after graduation ($46,555).
Median Earnings (Full-Time & Part-Time) of the 2007 UMN Baccalaureate Graduates Who Work in Minnesota 1 to 15 Years after Graduation vs. American Community Survey (ACS) 2022 Median Earnings and Georgetown University CEW Definition of a Good Job (in 2024 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)
Median Earnings (Full-Time & Part-Time) of the 2007 UMN Baccalaureate Graduates Who Work in Minnesota 1 to 15 Years after Graduation vs. American Community Survey (ACS) 2022 Median Earnings and Georgetown University CEW Definition of a Good Job (in 2024 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)
| Years after Graduation | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 | $38,948 |
| 2 | $46,555 |
| 5 | $59,309 |
| 8 | $75,261 |
| 10 | $83,118 |
| 15 | $96,505 |
| Benchmark | Median Earnings |
| ACS: MN Age 25-39 Baccalaureate or Higher Degree | $70,438 |
| Georgetown University CEW: Definition of a Good Job | $46,091 |
3. Further Education
The UMN prepares its baccalaureate degree recipients with the skills necessary to advance their education and careers. The 2007 UMN baccalaureates pursued further education in large numbers. Four in ten graduates had earned at least one additional degree or certificate beyond their baccalaureate by 2022. One-third (33%) of those who have earned additional degrees or certificates did so at the UMN. Overall, 61% of the additional degrees earned are master’s degrees, followed by 20% who have earned a research or professional doctorate degree.
2007 UMN Baccalaureates Degree Recipients: Further Education 2008-2022
2007 UMN Baccalaureates Degree Recipients: Further Education 2008-2022
| Further Education Status | Percentage | Further Education at UMN vs. Other Institutions | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Further education | 41% | University of Minnesota | 33% |
| No further education | 59% | Other institutions | 67% |
Conclusion
The 15-year trajectory of the University of Minnesota’s 2007 baccalaureate alumni underscores the enduring value of a UMN education. With strong earnings growth, a high rate of in-state employment, and substantial engagement in further education—often at the UMN itself—these outcomes reflect individual achievement, institutional impact, and service to the state of Minnesota. As the Postcollegiate Outcomes project continues to evolve, future analyses will explore how campus experiences shape not only economic outcomes but also broader dimensions of alumni well-being, including career satisfaction and civic engagement. These insights will be critical for shaping policies and practices that support student success long after graduation.
- The University of Minnesota Postcollegiate Outcomes (PCO) project is an ongoing study of graduates from the University of Minnesota System. The results draw on internal data paired with data from two external sources: the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program through the Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) and the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC). MN UI covers about 95% of Minnesota employment, and NSC covers nearly all higher education institutions in the U.S. However, UI underestimates the number who remain in the state since self-employed individuals, those employed by the federal government, religious non-profits, and independent contractors are not included in the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage data. The project employs a cohort-based longitudinal approach, where the employment and earnings outcomes of students who received baccalaureate degrees as well as graduate and professional degrees/certificates during calendar years 2006 to 2022 are tracked over time (currently 239,000+ alumni). Further degree attainment beyond the first UMN credential is tracked nationwide through 2022. By looking at graduates’ further education, employment status, and financial outcomes, this Project describes how UMN alumni are establishing themselves in both the early and later stages of their postcollegiate lives.
- Earnings estimates are based on the American Community Survey Subject Table B15014, Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) by Age by Field of Bachelor’s Degree for First Major, ACS 1-Year Estimates Detailed Table, 2022, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce. In this Brief, the ACS salary estimates are reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars to allow for a more direct comparison with the UMN PCO data.
- Data on median annual earnings represent the earnings for individuals who are considered "in the labor force", which includes both full-time and part-time workers, not just full-time workers exclusively.
- Source: Strohl, J., Gulish, A., & Morris, C. (2024). The future of good jobs: Projections through 2031. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.