Methodology

On November 10, 2015, respondents were invited by email by the President of the University of Virginia Alumni Association, C. Thomas Faulders, to take the survey. The invitation informed respondents of the importance and general purposes of the survey, assured them of confidentiality, and invited them to participate. Email reminders were sent to non-respondents each week.

When the field period ended on December 15, 2015, a total of 7,808 alumni had responded to this survey, a response rate of 22 percent. At a 95% confidence level, the overall sampling error for the survey was ± 1.0%.

The comparison group sample was compiled from Gallup Panel, a proprietary longitudinal panel of 60,000 U.S. adults. Gallup Panel members with a college degree and access to the Internet were invited to take the Gallup-Purdue Index survey online. Survey responses by graduates of AAU institutions provided comparison results for the analysis of UVA data.

2014 Gallup Purdue Index Survey

This survey was conducted in October 2014 in collaboration with Gallup. Gallup, in partnership with Purdue University, developed the Gallup-Purdue Index survey to assess the long-term success of college graduates in terms of their employment, well-being, and connection with their alma mater. Five aspects of well-being are assessed: purpose, social, financial, community, and physical. UVA provided eight additional custom questions for inclusion in the survey.

A sample of alumni from the past 65 graduating classes (class of 1950-class of 2014) who had current email addresses on file with the University were invited to participate: 29,560 alumni were contacted and a total of 8,102 responded for a response rate of 27 percent. Results from UVA respondents were compared with those from alumni from other Association of American Universities (AAU) institutions and more specifically with those from AAU public institutions.

Survey Results

• 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index Survey Results

Methodology

On October 7, 2014, respondents were invited by email by the President of the University of Virginia Alumni Association, C. Thomas Faulders, to take the survey. The invitation informed respondents of the importance and general purposes of the survey, assured them of confidentiality, and invited them to participate. Email reminders were sent to non-respondents each week.

When the field period ended on October 28, 2014, a total of 8,102 alumni had responded to this survey, a response rate of 27 percent. At a 95% confidence level, the overall sampling error for the survey was ± 1.0%.

The comparison group sample was compiled from Gallup Panel, a proprietary longitudinal panel of 60,000 U.S. adults. Gallup Panel members with a college degree and access to the Internet were invited to take the Gallup-Purdue Index survey online. Survey responses by graduates of AAU institutions provided comparison results for the analysis of UVA data.