The future is bright for students earning bachelor’s degrees in statistics, but how prepared are recent statistics graduates when transitioning into the job market or post-graduate studies? Pretty well, according to a recent survey of undergraduate students undertaken by the American Statistical Association.
A first for ASA, the Bachelor’s Survey proves a valuable resource for prospective statistics students to understand both the current demand for statistics-related positions in industry and the professional latitude afforded to statistics graduates. Surveying 271 graduates, ASA found these results:
• Of the 271 respondents, 157 graduates (60 percent) categorized themselves as employed; 80 (30 percent) listed themselves as students, and 10 (4 percent) listed themselves as employed.
• Of those employed respondents, the median salary was $55,000.
• 84 percent agreed or strongly agreed their program prepared them to effectively analyze and interpret data critically using statistical models.
• 40 respondents said they wished they would have taken more computer science, programming, or coding courses.
The survey and its results are comprehensive, if not overwhelming, but prove particulary relevant, as data scientists and other stats-related positions are some of the most in-demand jobs today.
The American Statistical Association promotes the practice and profession of statistics and is considered the world's largest community of statisticians.