You'll finish college ready to take the next steps in your life. Whether it is graduate school or starting a career, your educational experiences on- and off-campus will have made the difference. If you have a specific career goal already, you can look for the majors that will move you in the direction you want to head.

Real-world experiences

Add up off-campus study, faculty-directed research and internships and you end up with meaningful experiences and workforce preparation. Nine out of 10 alums say they benefited from these kinds of experiences, which helped make them career-ready.

The Mayo Innovation Scholars Program is just one example of this kind of opportunity. Teams of undergrads work to assess the feasibility of commercializing a Mayo Clinic innovation, assessing a variety of issues from both a scientific and logistical perspective. As Macalester College student Varini Sharma wrote, "it proved to be the perfect application of a liberal arts education."

Grad schools

For 24% of our graduates, the next step is to go on to earn a master's or professional degree. In fact, most of the future doctorate-earners who started their college educations in Minnesota did so at one of our colleges. Credit the opportunities at our colleges for undergrads to work closely with faculty for setting the stage for additional research and education.

Jobs

Employers seek the knowledge and skills that our grads have. Along with specific skills, employers want to hire people who are flexible and creative, notes the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce's Bill Blazar. "They have to be well-rounded, curious, good problem solvers and able to handle a variety of situations. This goes to the heart of a liberal arts education."

Private colleges support students through strong alumni networks, support of career services, internships and meetings with recruiters. The Job and Internship Fair proves to be a great way for our seniors from all of our colleges to meet with potential employers.