WORKFORCE READY

Educate To Career ranks ECU No. 4 in nation

East Carolina University is ranked No. 4 out of more than 1,200 universities in the nation by Educate To Career in its 2015 College Rankings Index.

The rankings provide “actual college outcomes data,” according to the California nonprofit.

Chancellor Steve Ballard said the rankings reflect ECU’s commitment to student success. “ECU is especially pleased with the ETC rankings because they are one of the few rankings that measure what actually happens to the student when they get to campus,” he said. “We are clearly among the very best in the nation in terms of the value we add to the student experience.”

The ETC index analyzes data from four-year colleges with enrollments of 1,000 students or more. The index evaluates the total costs related to attending college and the outcomes of the students when they enter the workforce. The rankings are determined by which schools did the best job of improving the earnings and attainment of quality employment of their students, according to the ETC website.

“The Index empirically determines the economic value added by each of the 1,224 colleges ranked within our system. We calculate the improvement in earnings and employability of persons who attended specific colleges, relative to those similarly situated in other colleges,” said Michael R. Havis, founder of Educate to Career.

Some of the metrics used include percentage of graduates employed in occupations using their field of study, average salary, if students are employed within one year of graduation and the number of years in school.

“We are very proud of the accomplishment of our students and their ability to earn competitive salaries and attain success in their first destination upon completion of their education,” said Karen Thompson, director of the ECU Career Center. “This is evidenced by the fact that more than 64 percent of our graduates connected with the ECU Career Center multiple times throughout their academic career to intentionally plan their future career, apply their education through internships or co-ops and then actively apply for meaningful careers or advanced degrees.”