More than 94 per cent (94.8) of McMaster graduates with undergraduate degrees were employed six months after leaving the University, a survey shows. The provincial average is 94.6 per cent.

The rate is up from last year's result which showed that 93.9 per cent of graduates were employed six months after graduation.

“McMaster's strong results demonstrate that we continue to graduate high-quality students who have the knowledge, skills and experience employers need,” said University President Peter George.

The Ontario University Graduate Survey also showed that 97 per cent of McMaster graduates are employed within two years of obtaining an undergraduate degree, a slight increase from last year's figure of 96.4 per cent. The provincial average in this category this year is 97.2 per cent.

See the Graduation, Employment and OSAP Loan Default Rates, McMaster University, April 2001 table for full program results.

The University received about $1 million in provincial funding last year because the employment rates matched or exceeded the provincial average, a target established by the Ontario government.

The survey, sponsored by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Council of Ontario Universities, studied the employment experiences of 1998 graduates of undergraduate programs in Ontario.

The Ontario Universities' Application Centre collected the information using a mail-out survey targeting graduates of bachelor and first professional degree programs.

The survey also noted the default rate for Ontario Student Assistance Plan loan holders — McMaster graduates posted a default rate of 5.8 per cent. (The Daily News provided a detailed story on the default rate earlier this year: See McMaster's OSAP default rate decreases for fourth straight year.)

The results of a fourth performance indicator, graduation rate data, will be calculated and published later this year.