University Employment Outcomes, Graduation and Student Loan Default Rates

2021-22 Ontario University Graduate Survey

About the Survey

Each year the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, in cooperation with Ontario’s universities, administers the Ontario University Graduate Survey. The survey is administered to all graduates two years after graduation, and asks for information on their employment outcomes at six months and two years after graduation. The information is used to support policy development and analysis, and to ensure Ontario’s graduates are obtaining good, high quality jobs.

2021-22 Ontario University Graduate Survey respondents graduated in 2019. Respondents were surveyed between January 2022 and August 2022, and asked about their employment status at 6 months after graduation and two years after graduation. A graduate could respond online or by e-mail, mobile device, or paper.

To increase accountability and transparency, the Ministryf of Colleges and Universities has provided the response counts for each question of the survey, as well as contextual information to help better understand calculations.

Graduate Responses

Of the 86, 686 graduates, 78, 839 were surveyed and 25, 524 responded resulting in a 32% response rate.

Of the total survey respondents , 98% of survey responses were in English, while 2% were in French.

How to Interpret Survey Results

The data in this document is for summary purposes only. It cannot be used to calculate the graduate employment rate or to conduct research. The following information will also help users accurately interpret the survey results provided at the end of this summary.

In surveys, a partial non-response error can occur, when individuals respond to the survey but do not respond to a specific question. For instance, while it may be logical to assume that all respondents who indicated they were employed or offered employment would also indicate the number of hours they work in a week, not all respondents do.

Tables in orange include responses by graduates who were not in the labour force. Tables in blue only include graduates who were in the labour force.

Graduate Employment Rate Calculation

The ministry calculates the graduate employment rate as the proportion of graduates in the labour force who responded as being employed or offered employment. The labour force is defined as those who are employed, offered employment, and looking for work but not in school. Respondents that indicate they are not employed in Question 1/15, looking for work in Question 9/25, and not in school in Question 10/26, are included in the labour force and classified as looking.

2021-22 Ontario University Graduate Survey: Results for 2019 Graduates

2019 Graduate Employment Rate
Period Complete Surveys Employed/ Self-Employed Offered Looking Employed/ Offered a Job Individuals in Labour Force Employment Rate
n n n n n n %
6 Months 25,524 18, 635 738 2,776 19,373 21,434 90.4%
2 years 25, 524 20, 114 625 1,762 20, 739 21, 999 94.3%

6 Months/2 Years Comparison Overall
1/15. Best applies to your situation: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Not employed [Skip to Q9/Q25] 6,135 24% 4,769 19%
Offered employment 738 3% 625 2%
Employed in a Paid Job (PT/FT) 18,058 71% 19,408 76%
Self-employed 577 2% 706 3%
Total responses 25,508 25,508

This information cannot be used to calculate the graduate employment rate because it includes responses from graduates who were not looking for work (because they were in school or otherwise not in the labour market). See the above panel for the correct graduate employment rate.


Section A - Paid Employment

More than one paid job
2/16. More than one paid job: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Yes 4,965 26% 4,198 20%
No 14,403 74% 16,535 80%
Total responses 19,368 20,733

This question identifies whether graduates who identified in 1/15 that they were in paid employment had more than one paid job. This table provides the breakdown of answers of those who responded to this question.

Was your employment for 30 hours a week or more?
3/17. Was your employment for 30 hours a week or more? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Yes 15,946 82% 17,777 86%
No 3,411 18% 2,945 14%
Total responses 19,357 20,722

The survey uses Statistics Canada’s definition of full-time employment, which requires an individual to be employed for 30 hours a week or more to be considered employed full time.

Reason for working less than 30 hours a week:
4/18. Reason for working less than 30 hours a week: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Going to school 1,268 37% 1,462 50%
Illness or disability 44 1% 51 2%
Personal or family responsibilities 99 3% 101 3%
Unable to find full-time work/ only job found/ insufficient business 1,346 40% 812 28%
Travelling 53 2% 23 1%
Unpaid internship 35 1% 27 1%
Personal preference 324 10% 239 8%
Other 231 7% 216 7%
Total responses 3,400 2,931

Respondents who identified in 3/17 that they were working for 30 hours a week or less were asked to provide a reason for why they were working part-time. This table provides the breakdown of answers of those who responded to this question.

Personal annual salary before taxes and other deductions:
5/19. Personal annual salary before taxes and other deductions: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
$0 - $5,000 611 3% 718 4%
$6,001 - $10,000 758 4% 651 3%
$11,000 - $15,000 913 5% 633 3%
$16,000 - $20,000 1,065 6% 656 3%
$21,000 - $25,000 1,173 6% 801 4%
$26,000 - $30,000 1,251 7% 842 4%
$31,000 - $35,000 1,328 7% 919 4%
$36,000 - $40,000 1,599 8% 1,118 5%
$41,000 - $45,000 1,642 9% 1,498 7%
$46,000 - $50,000 1,513 8% 1,472 7%
$51,000 - $55,000 1,379 7% 1,515 7%
$56,000- $60,000 1,362 7% 1,580 8%
$61,000- $65,000 1,219 6% 1,614 8%
$66,000- $70,000 864 5% 1,391 7%
$71,000- $75,000 632 3% 1,206 6%
$76,000- $80,000 428 2% 822 4%
$81,000- $85,000 330 2% 668 3%
$86,000- $90,000 238 1% 454 2%
$91,000- $95,000 142 1% 344 2%
$96,000- $100,000 140 1% 309 2%
$101,000- $105,000 93 0% 207 1%
$106,000- $110,000 75 0% 179 1%
$111,000- $115,000 38 0% 101 1%
$116,000- $120,000 45 0% 85 0%
$121,000- $125,000 20 0% 73 0%
$126,000- $130,000 27 0% 49 0%
$131,000- $135,000 21 0% 31 0%
$136,000- $140,000 18 0% 59 0%
$141,000- $145,000 11 0% 29 0%
$146,000- $150,000 17 0% 52 0%
More than $150,000 188 1% 354 2%
Total responses 19,104 20,430

Graduates who identified in 1/15 that they had been offered employment, were employed full time or part time in a paid job, or were self-employed, were asked what their personal annual salary from all employment was before taxes and other deductions (in Canadian dollars). This table provides the breakdown of answers of those who responded to this question.

What type of employment did you have at that time?
20 What type of employment did you have at that time? 2 Years
n %
Permanent 14,147 68%
Temporary/Contract 6,193 30%
Seasonal 386 2%
Total responses 20,726

For questions 6-8/20-23, graduates were asked to answer with respect to the paid job that they considered their primary or main job (at six months for Q 6-8 and 2 years for Q 20-23). Any respondent who indicated that they were employed was asked to respond to these questions, including those in part-time employment who were attending school.

This question (Q20) was only asked of graduates at the two-year mark.

Level of education needed for work:
6/21. Level of education needed for work: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
High school or less 2,887 15% 1,929 9%
Postsecondary certificate or diploma 1,798 9% 1,807 9%
Bachelor’s degree 10,139 52% 11,232 54%
Professional degree 2,049 11% 2,535 12%
Post-graduate certificate or diploma 465 2% 624 3%
Graduate degree 813 4% 1,363 7%
No qualifications were specified 1,098 6% 1,091 5%
Other 110 1% 139 1%
Total responses 19,359 20,720

Graduates were asked what level of education was required for the position that they were working in. This table provides the breakdown of answers of those who responded to this question.

How closely was your work related to the skills you developed at university?
7/22. How closely was your work related to the skills you developed at university? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Closely related 9,218 48% 11,290 54%
Somewhat related 6,794 35% 6,840 33%
Not related at all 3,295 17% 2,519 12%
Do not know 60 0% 78 0%
Total responses 19,367 20,727

The ministry splits relatedness into two categories to better reflect a graduate’s outcome. A graduate may now indicate their job’s relatedness to the skills developed at university and the relatedness to the subject matter of their program of study. These tables provide the breakdown of answers of those who responded to these questions

How closely was your work related to the subject matter of the program of study?
8/23. How closely was your work related to the subject matter of the program of study? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Closely related 8,775 45% 10,039 48%
Somewhat related 5,448 28% 6,109 29%
Not related at all 5,095 26% 4,502 22%
Do not know 51 0% 75 0%
Total responses 19,369 20,725


Section B - Not Employed

Were you looking for work?
9/25. Were you looking for work? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Yes 2,776 45% 1,762 37%
No 3,356 55% 3,003 63%
Total responses 6,132 4,765

If a respondent indicated they were looking for work and they were not in school, they are included in the labour force. Otherwise, if a graduate was not looking for work, they were not included in the graduate employment rate.

Main reason you were not looking for work:
10/26. Main reason you were not looking for work: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Going to school 2,870 86% 2,591 87%
Personal or family responsibilities 165 5% 170 6%
Discouraged with looking for employment 51 2% 51 2%
Other 243 7% 176 6%
Total responses 3,329 2,988

Respondents who identified in 9/25 that they were not looking for work were asked to provide a reason why. This table provides the breakdown of answers of those who responded to this question.


Section C - Additional Schooling

Were you attending school?
11/27 Were you attending school? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Yes - Going to school full-time 6,843 27% 5,702 22%
Yes - Going to school part-time 1,198 5% 1,286 5%
Not in school 17,442 68% 18,489 73%
Total responses 25,483 25,477

Program enrolled:
12/28. Program enrolled: 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Postsecondary certificate or diploma 734 9% 687 10%
Bachelor’s degree 955 12% 554 8%
Professional degree 1,667 21% 1,723 25%
Post-graduate certificate or diploma 854 11% 642 9%
Graduate degree 3,451 43% 3,112 45%
Other 357 4% 259 4%
Total responses 8,018 6,977

Respondents who identified in 11/27 that they were attending school either part time or full time were asked to identify what type of program they were enrolled in. This table provides the breakdown of answers of those who responded to this question.

At what kind of postsecondary institution were you enrolled?
13/29. At what kind of postsecondary institution were you enrolled? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
College in Ontario 1,217 15% 1,044 15%
University in Ontario 5,515 69% 4,339 62%
Other postsecondary institution in Ontario 242 3% 254 4%
Postsecondary institution outside of Ontario 1,043 13% 1,334 19%
Total responses 8,017 6,971

Respondents who identified in 11/27 that they were attending school either part time or full time were asked to identify what kind of postsecondary institution they were enrolled in. This table provides the breakdown of answers for those who responded to this question.

In addition to the activities outlined above, were you in an unpaid internship or similar type of unpaid position (Six months/2 years) after graduation?
14/30. In addition to the activities outlined above, were you in an unpaid internship or similar type of unpaid position (Six months/2 years) after graduation? 6 Months 2 Years
n % n %
Yes 1,050 4% 628 2%
No 24,425 96% 24,813 98%
Total responses 25,475 25,441

It was important for Ontario and its universities to understand the incidence of unpaid internships and other types of unpaid positions.

In the period between graduation in 2017 and October 2019, did you complete another postsecondary education credential?
36. In the period between graduation in 2017 and October 2019, did you complete another postsecondary education credential? n %
Yes 6,198 24%
No 19,312 76%
Total responses 25,510

What credential did you complete during that period?
37 What credential did you complete during that period? n %
Postsecondary certificate or diploma 841 14%
Bachelor’s degree 411 7%
Professional degree 776 13%
Post-graduate certificate or diploma 1,261 20%
Graduate degree 2,454 40%
Other 434 7%
Total responses 6,177

Respondents who identified they had completed another credential were asked what type of credential they completed. This table provides the breakdown of answers for those who responded to this question.

The Ontario government is interested in the outcomes of underrepresented groups in the labour market. The questions below, were added to understand the outcomes of first-generation students, students with disabilities, and Aboriginal Students.

Have any of your parents/guardians ever completed a credential at a university or college?
38 Have any of your parents/guardians ever completed a credential at a university or college? n %
Yes 18,293 72%
No 6,339 25%
Unsure 660 3%
Total responses 25,292

Do you consider yourself to have a physical, mental health or learning disability?
34 Do you consider yourself to have a physical, mental health or learning disability? n %
Yes 3,814 15%
No 19,919 79%
Prefer not to respond 1,592 6%
Total responses 25,325

Do you want to self-identify as an Aboriginal Person? (An Aboriginal person is considered a person related to, or descended from, the Original peoples of Canada).
35a Do you want to self-identify as an Aboriginal Person? (An Aboriginal person is considered a person related to, or descended from, the Original peoples of Canada). n %
Yes 491 2%
No 24,762 98%
Total responses 25,253

Select the description(s) that you self-identify with:
35b Select the description(s) that you self-identify with: n %
First Nations (Status/Non-Status Indian) 241 52%
Métis 176 38%
Inuk (Inuit) 12 3%
I use an alternative term to describe my Aboriginal ancestry and/or identity (e.g. Anishinaabe, Treaty #3). 68 15%
Total responses 497


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