2017 Data on New Nurse Graduates and Employers Preferences

In August 2017, AACN released the results of its eighth survey of nursing schools offering baccalaureate and graduate programs in the U.S. to better assess the experience of new graduates in finding employment and employer preferences for new hires. In terms of job prospects, the employment rate at graduation was 73% for BSN students, with the employment rate at 4-6 months after graduation rising to 94%. By comparison, the National Association of Colleges and Employers conducted a national survey of almost 40,000 new college graduates across disciplines and found that only 46% of new graduates last year had a job offer at graduation. AACN also collected data on entry-level master’s degree programs and found that these graduates were very likely to have secured jobs at graduation (78%) and at 4-6 months post-graduation (95%). In addition, surveyed schools were asked if employers in their area were requiring or strongly preferring new hires with baccalaureate degrees. Findings showed that 54% of employers require the BSN for new hires while 86.3% strongly prefer BSN-prepared nurses. For details on this new data, see www.aacnnursing.org/News-Information/Research-Data-Center/Employment/2017.