Employment Data
First Destination Survey
Every year, UC San Diego conducts the First Destination Survey (FDS) which gathers data on the employment status of recent graduates, including their first career, industry, compensation, and graduate school plans.
Below are the survey results:
Lightcast
The Lightcast dashboard provides information on the postgraduate career pathways of University of California alumni over the past 25 years. Visit Lightcast for more information.
Career Fair Outcomes - 2025
Employers
Employer Satisfaction
- 95% ranked the Career Fair Good/ Excellent
- 97% were Extremely Satisfied/ Satisfied with student/ alumni preparedness.
Employers Recruited for...
- 63% Internships
- 52% Early Career
- 31% Grad/Masters Level
- 13% PhD/Post Doc
- 18% Experienced
Employer Engagement at the Fair
- 89% Collected Resumes
- 49% Building Talent Pipeline
- 32% Schedule Interviews
- 11% Extend Offers
Industry Representation
- Business, Finance, and Enterprise Services
- Construction, Renewable Energy, and Infrastructure
- Digital & Emerging Technology
- Education, Government, and Civic Engagement
- Health, Life Sciences & Care Economy
Employer Survey Response Rate: 34%
Students
Participation
- 15% First Year
- 10% Sophomore
- 16% Junior
- 19% Senior
- 32% Masters
- 1% Ph.D./ Postdoc
- 7% Alumni
Preparation & Engagement
- 92% of students/ alumni were somewhat to very prepared for the fair.
- 96% of students/ alumni had somewhat to very valuable interactions with employers. (21% were neutral)
How did Students/ Alumni Learn About the Fair?
- 69% Handshake
- 58% Career Center Email/ Flyer
- 16% Career Center Website
- 15% Friend/ Peer
- 10% Social Media
- 4% Instructor
Academic Goals & Career Interest
- 92% of students/ alumni agreed that information presented by employers was helpful for their career and/or academic goals.
- 88% of companies aligned with student/ alumni career interest.
Student/ Alumni Survey Response Rate: 4%
Graduate & Professional Schools
School Statisfaction
- 76% ranked the Fair Good/Excellent
School Engagement
- 73% had Good/Excellent interactions with UC San Diego students.
Table Visits
- 60% of schools had About or Exceeded the number of students they expected to visit their table.
School Representation
- Business
- Arts & Humanities
- STEM/Engineering
- Law
- General Graduate Admissions
- Medical
Graduate & Professional School Survey Response Rate: 48%