Gallup Research Finds That 81% of Walden Graduate Degree Alumni Say Their Degree Was Important in Getting Promoted at Work, Higher Than Graduate Degree Holders Nationally

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Gallup-Purdue Index Study comparing Walden University graduate degree alumni with a sample of graduate degree holders nationally finds that Walden's graduates are a more diverse population. Earlier this year, Gallup conducted web surveys of Walden master's and doctoral degree holders for the 2016 Walden University Study: Career and Well-Being Outcomes. Gallup also surveyed a nationally representative sample of graduate degree holders, which included an online comparison group composed of graduate degree holders who completed their programs by taking at least one-half of the graduate program online.

Most notably, among graduates who have been promoted, achieved a salary raise or changed careers since obtaining their graduate degrees, Walden graduates are more likely to cite their degree as being important to getting promoted (81% vs. 76% online comparison group and 70% nationally), achieving a salary raise (74% vs. 71% and 69% respectively) and successfully changing careers (82% vs. 76% for both comparison groups).

The population of Walden graduates is demographically more diverse compared with both national comparison groups. The 2016 Walden University Study highlights the diversity of Walden's student body, finding that Walden graduates are more likely to be part of the first generation in their families to attend college, as well as more likely to be female and to be part of a racial or ethnic minority.

"The results of this survey show that Walden University is serving a very diverse working professional population—and serving them well on the dimensions that matter most to today's workforce," said Brandon Busteed, executive director of Education & Workforce Development at Gallup.

Additional key findings from the 2016 Walden University Study of graduate degree alumni include:

• Most Walden graduates agree or strongly agree that they gained the necessary skills and training to advance their careers (70%), are applying the knowledge and skills they learned to their jobs (73%), and feel their professional impact at work has increased because of their degrees (66%), on par with the national comparison groups.
• Eighty-three percent of Walden graduates agree or strongly agree that they were challenged academically at Walden University.
• Sixty percent of Walden graduates agree or strongly agree that Walden prepared them well for life outside of graduate school, higher than the online comparison group (54%) but on par with graduate degree holders nationally (64%).
• The vast majority of Walden graduates (76%) agree or strongly agree that Walden University was the perfect university for people like them.

"Walden is a diverse and inclusive institution, and the Gallup study is an affirmation of our success in serving the educational needs of our working professional students. We are encouraged by the findings of the study, further demonstrating that our graduates are advancing in their careers, are thriving in their personal lives and are positively engaged in their communities," said Jonathan Kaplan, president of Walden University.

Walden's commitment to diversity and working professionals is evidenced by a recent finding that Walden confers more graduate degrees to African American students and all minority students combined, according to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education's Top 100 Producers of Minority Graduate Degrees and its recent analysis of the U.S. Department of Education data.

Walden was also recently ranked 19th nationally on the "Best Colleges for Adult Learners–4 Year Colleges," according to the Washington Monthly 2016 College Rankings.

To read more about the 2016 Walden University Study, visit www.WaldenU.edu/gallup.

To learn more about Walden and its degree programs, visit www.WaldenU.edu.  

About the Study
Gallup surveyed 8,877 Walden graduates who received master's and doctoral degrees between 1990 and 2015 and a nationally representative sample of 6,687 graduate degree holders who had previously been interviewed via the Gallup-Purdue Index and who were invited to participate in the Walden study. Gallup developed a custom survey in partnership with Walden and surveyed Walden graduate degree holders and the nationally representative sample of graduate degree holders to compare outcomes in the areas of professional success, return on investment and civic engagement. In addition to results from the nationally representative sample of graduate degree holders, results for a subset of graduate degree holders who completed their programs by taking at least one-half of the graduate program online were also examined.

About Walden University
For more than 45 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 52,600 students from all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 155 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with more than 400 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. Walden is one of more than 70 institutions in 25 countries that comprise the Laureate International Universities network. Laureate Education, Inc. is a public benefit corporation, and both Laureate and Walden completed a rigorous, independent assessment to become a Certified B Corp®. For more information about Walden and Laureate, visit www.WaldenU.edu and www.laureate.net.

About Gallup
Gallup delivers forward-thinking research, analytics and advice to help leaders solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 75 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of the world's constituents, employees and customers than any other organization. 

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