2007 ASLA Graduating Student Survey Results

The 2007 survey is the Society’s 11th annual survey of graduating students and is conducted online. This year 321 responses were submitted; undergraduates completed 212 surveys (66 percent) and graduate students completed 109 surveys (34 percent). This is a similar percentage to 2006, when 63 percent of respondents were from undergraduate programs.

Starting Salaries
The average starting salary for respondents who had started or accepted a position was $41,500. Undergraduates reported an average of $39,800 and graduates $45,300. In 2006 the figures were $39,800 for all respondents, $37,900 for undergraduates, and $43,800 for graduates.

Interviews
The average respondent had three job interviews during his or her final semester in school, although 27 percent of respondents had not had any interviews. However, 25 percent reported reasonable employment prospects with a former employer and 15 percent with an internship organization (similar to 2006 survey). The percentage of respondents with at least one job offer was 73 percent, up from 71 percent in 2006. At the time of completing the survey 202 respondents had started or accepted a position.

Future Plans
Eighty-six percent of respondents intend to seek registration. More than 200 respondents expect to continue their education by obtaining at least one additional degree. Fifty-five respondents would like to teach landscape architecture.

To see the complete survey results, visit the Career Discovery Salary Survey page. For questions about the survey, contact Ron Leighton, director of education and academic affairs at rleighton@asla.org or by phone at 202-216-2338.