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Swiss Statistics

Enquiries, Sources – Graduate SurveyOverview

Short description The survey's main focus is the employment and educational situation of graduates of institutions of higher education one and five years after graduation. Among the questions it seeks to answer are: How does the labour force participation rate change? What are the decisive factors for a successful transition to the labour market? The survey findings are used as an information tool for various institutions of higher education and as guidelines for educational and employment authorities and career counselling services.
Responsible agency Swiss Federal Statistical Office
Responsible service Education system
BILD-S
Responsible person and information
  • Petra Koller, 032 713 64 26, petra.koller@bfs.admin.ch                                  
    Project manager, responsible for design and content
  • Barbara Spätig-Hübschi, 032 713 67 99, barbara.spaetig@bfs.admin.ch          
    Information about administrative and technical questions (general information, technical manual, contact with institutions of higher education, information about surveys)
Information on FSO surveys for science and research: Communication Portal for Accessing Social Statistics (COMPASS) External website. Content opens in new window.
Conducted by Federal Statistical Office (FSO) in collaboration with market and social research institutes
Legal basis Ordinance on the Conduct of Federal Statistical Surveys of 30 June 1993 (SR 431.012.1)
Type of enquiry Print /online questionnaires. Content and questions are adapted to apply to different degrees. Participation is voluntary.
Statistical basis and units of enquiry Panel design full population survey of graduates with Bachelor's degree, diploma, licentiate, Master's degree and PhD. In the first-wave survey, all graduates having successfully completed a degree in a recognised Swiss institution of higher education (cantonal universities, Federal Institutes of Technology, universities of applied sciences (incl. universities of teacher education)) in the year in question are asked to complete a questionnaire one year after graduation. Only graduates who participated in the first-wave survey are asked to take part in a second-wave survey four years later.
Features registered
  • General information on completed study course
  • Transition from higher education to labour market
  • Professional situation one/five years after graduation
  • Employment history since graduation
  • Further education and training
  • Self-evaluation of current professional situation and career to date
  • Personal data and current living situation
Each questionnaire contains a module that can be modified and adjusted to specific topics.
Degree of regionalisation All graduates from cantonal universities, Federal Institutes of Technology and universities of applied sciences (including universities of teacher education) in Switzerland
Date of survey The surveys are conducted every two years in odd-numbered years:
  • First-wave survey: August to November
  • Second-wave survey: March to June
Periodicity every two years
Available since
  • 1977: First survey of graduates doctoral/research universities by the Swiss Association for Career and Academic Consulting (AGAB/ASOU)
  • 1993: Graduates of universities of applied sciences and higher technical colleges included in the survey
  • 1998: Federal Statistical Office assumes project management
  • 2001: The Federal Statistical Office assumes responsibility for collecting the data
  • 2002: First panel survey ("second-wave survey") of graduates who took part in the first-wave survey in 1999
Statistical quality of data Response rate:
  • First-wave survey ca. 60%
  • Second-wave survey ca. 65% 
Data weighting with the aid of Swiss Higher Education System (SHIS) statistics. The aim is to obtain data on study subjects and individual universities and institutes.
Revision
  • Questionnaire revision during first-wave survey in 2003.
  • Adjusted survey method since 2005: in addition to the paper version of the questionnaire, online version was launched to enable respondent to participate via the Internet. Since 2009 the survey has mainly been conducted online.
  • Since the first-wave survey in 2005, the period the survey is conducted has been moved to mid-August until the end of November.
  • Since 2007, graduates with Bachelor's and Master's degrees have also been surveyed.
Last Update 05.01.2011
Last updated: 23.10.2009
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