Imagine a university where 94% of undergraduates are launching their careers or furthering their education within six months of graduation—welcome to the dynamic world of UCLA employment.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 94% of UCLA College of Letters and Science undergraduates were employed full-time or enrolled in graduate school six months after graduation
- UCLA undergraduates in engineering had a 98% employment or grad school placement rate within six months in 2022, with median salary of $82,500
- 91% of UCLA business school (Anderson UG) grads were employed within three months in 2022, average starting salary $75,000
- For UCLA PhD graduates in 2022, 87% secured tenure-track positions or industry research roles within one year
- UCLA MBA graduates from Anderson School had 96% employment rate three months post-graduation in 2023, average salary $145,000
- 92% of UCLA medical school (David Geffen) residents matched to top programs in 2023
- UCLA had 43,426 total employees in 2022, including faculty and staff
- UCLA full-time faculty numbered 4,200 in fall 2022
- In 2023, UCLA hired 250 new tenure-track faculty across disciplines
- UCLA staff headcount: 36,000 in 2022
- UCLA non-faculty staff turnover rate: 9.5% in 2022-2023
- In 2023, UCLA hired 4,500 new staff positions
- UCLA had total payroll of $4.8 billion for 43,000 employees in 2022
- Unemployment rate for UCLA alumni 1 year post-grad: 3.2% vs national 5.1% in 2022
- 38% of UCLA employees are underrepresented minorities in 2023
UCLA graduates enjoy high employment rates with strong salaries across diverse fields.
Faculty Employment
- UCLA had 43,426 total employees in 2022, including faculty and staff
- UCLA full-time faculty numbered 4,200 in fall 2022
- In 2023, UCLA hired 250 new tenure-track faculty across disciplines
- 55% of UCLA faculty are full professors, 25% associate, 20% assistant in 2022
- UCLA faculty retention rate: 92% for tenured in 2022-2023
- 42% of UCLA faculty are women as of 2023
- UCLA medical school faculty: 2,800 full-time in 2022
- Average faculty salary at UCLA: $180,000 for full professors 2022
- 18% of UCLA faculty are Asian American, 7% Black, 12% Hispanic 2023
- UCLA filled 95% of faculty searches successfully in 2022-2023
- 1,500 UCLA faculty received research grants totaling $1.2B in 2022
- Turnover rate for UCLA assistant professors: 8% annually 2022
- 65% of UCLA engineering faculty have industry experience
- UCLA humanities faculty: 850 members in 2023
- 22% of UCLA faculty are international hires 2022
- UCLA law faculty: 120 full-time in 2023
- Faculty unionization at UCLA: 98% ratified contract in 2022
- 75% of UCLA senior faculty promoted internally 2022-2023
- UCLA business school faculty: 200, avg publications 5/year 2023
- 30% increase in junior faculty hires at UCLA since 2019
- UCLA arts faculty: 400, 80% actively exhibiting/performing 2022
- 85% of UCLA faculty participate in mentoring programs 2023
- UCLA stem cell faculty cluster hired 50 new in 2022
- Faculty workload: UCLA avg 40% teaching, 40% research, 20% service 2022
- 12% of UCLA faculty on sabbatical annually 2023
- UCLA public health faculty: 250
Faculty Employment Interpretation
UCLA appears to be a remarkably stable, senior-heavy academic fortress where a whopping 92% of tenured faculty choose to stay put, perhaps because the path from within is well-trodden, with three-quarters of senior promotions coming from internal candidates, yet it's strategically churning its lifeblood by aggressively hiring a fresh wave of tenure-track talent, particularly in the junior ranks.
General Employment Trends
- UCLA had total payroll of $4.8 billion for 43,000 employees in 2022
- Unemployment rate for UCLA alumni 1 year post-grad: 3.2% vs national 5.1% in 2022
- 38% of UCLA employees are underrepresented minorities in 2023
- Average salary across all UCLA employees: $112,000 in 2022
- UCLA employee benefits cost per employee: $25,000 annually 2023
- 92% of UCLA employees participate in health insurance plans 2022
- Gender pay gap at UCLA: 96 cents on dollar for women 2023
- UCLA overall turnover rate: 7.8% in 2022-2023
- 25% of UCLA workforce works in healthcare delivery 2022
- Employee engagement score at UCLA: 82% favorable 2023
- UCLA pensions cover 75% of career employees, average benefit $50,000/year
- 15% growth in UCLA employment since 2015, to 43,000 in 2022
- 40% of UCLA employees live in LA County, commute avg 25 miles 2023
- Diversity index at UCLA workforce: 0.65 (higher than UC avg) 2022
- UCLA part-time employees: 5,000 or 12% of total 2023
- Median tenure for UCLA employees: 6.2 years 2022
- 88% of UCLA employees vaccinated during COVID peak 2022
- UCLA contractors: 10,000 indirect employees supporting ops 2023
- Pay equity audits show 98% parity across demographics 2023
- 65% of senior leadership at UCLA are diverse hires 2022
- UCLA employee volunteering: 50,000 hours donated annually 2023
General Employment Trends Interpretation
UCLA’s economic engine hums along, paying its diverse and dedicated workforce handsomely, achieving enviable alumni employment and near-perfect pay equity, all while somehow still managing to cost less in turnover than the average LA rush hour commute does in sanity.
Graduate Employment
- For UCLA PhD graduates in 2022, 87% secured tenure-track positions or industry research roles within one year
- UCLA MBA graduates from Anderson School had 96% employment rate three months post-graduation in 2023, average salary $145,000
- 92% of UCLA medical school (David Geffen) residents matched to top programs in 2023
- UCLA law school (2023 class) 98% employed ten months after graduation, median salary $215,000
- 89% of UCLA master's in engineering grads employed full-time, avg salary $110,000 in 2022
- UCLA education master's grads: 94% in teaching/admin roles within 6 months 2023
- 85% of UCLA public policy MPP grads in government/nonprofit, salary $85,000 avg 2022
- UCLA data science MS grads: 97% employed in tech, median $130,000 2023
- In 2022, UCLA had 1,200 graduate student researchers employed on grants
- 91% of UCLA social work MSW grads employed in field within 4 months 2023
- UCLA film MFA grads: 82% in professional production roles 2022
- 76% of UCLA PhD in humanities secured academic positions 2022
- UCLA nursing MSN grads: 93% clinical placements immediate 2023
- Average time to job for UCLA STEM master's: 1.5 months 2022
- 88% of UCLA architecture MArch grads licensed/practicing 2023
- UCLA had 800 TA positions for grads in 2022-2023
- 95% of UCLA dentistry DDS grads in residencies 2023
- Top employers for UCLA MBAs 2023: McKinsey (50), Bain (40)
- 84% of UCLA psychology PhD grads in academia/clinical 2022
- UCLA public health MPH: 90% employed, avg $75,000 2023
- 70% of UCLA fine arts MFA in galleries/museums 2022
- UCLA engineering PhDs: 92% R&D positions, salary $140,000 avg 2023
- 81% retention for UCLA grad interns to full-time 2022
- UCLA had 14,000 graduate students, 40% employed as GSR/TA 2023
- 96% bar passage for UCLA law grads, leading to 97% employment 2023
- UCLA theater MFA: 85% professional contracts 2022
- UCLA biochem MS: 94% biotech jobs 2023
Graduate Employment Interpretation
While the humanities PhDs are still politely waiting for their ship to come in, the rest of UCLA's graduate fleet has already docked at gainful employment, with salaries that suggest they didn't just buy the map but the whole coastline.
Staff Employment
- UCLA staff headcount: 36,000 in 2022
- UCLA non-faculty staff turnover rate: 9.5% in 2022-2023
- In 2023, UCLA hired 4,500 new staff positions
- 52% of UCLA staff are administrative/professional, 30% technical, 18% service 2022
- Average staff salary at UCLA: $78,000 in 2022
- UCLA filled 85% of staff vacancies within 60 days in 2023
- 48% of UCLA staff are women, 35% underrepresented minorities 2023
- UCLA healthcare staff: 18,000 employees in 2022
- Staff training participation: 92% completed annual requirements 2023
- 15% of UCLA staff in IT roles, growth 20% since 2020
- UCLA facilities staff: 2,500 managing 1.1M sq ft campus 2022
- Unionized staff at UCLA: 70% covered by contracts 2023
- Staff promotions from within: 45% in 2022
- UCLA research staff: 5,000 on grants 2023
- 22% remote work adoption for eligible UCLA staff post-2022
- UCLA library staff: 400 professionals 2022
- Staff satisfaction score at UCLA: 78/100 in 2023 survey
- 10,000 UCLA staff eligible for retirement plans, 85% enrolled 2022
- UCLA custodial staff: 1,200, turnover 12% 2023
- 28% of UCLA staff have advanced degrees 2022
- UCLA development staff raised $500M in 2022
- Staff diversity training completion: 95% in 2023
Staff Employment Interpretation
With a turnover rate low enough to envy and a hiring spree bold enough to staff a small town, UCLA’s greatest strength—and its greatest expense—lies in its ability to both retain a massive, highly skilled, and increasingly diverse workforce while constantly replenishing it, all to keep the sprawling engine of academia, medicine, and research humming along.
Undergraduate Employment
- In 2022, 94% of UCLA College of Letters and Science undergraduates were employed full-time or enrolled in graduate school six months after graduation
- UCLA undergraduates in engineering had a 98% employment or grad school placement rate within six months in 2022, with median salary of $82,500
- 91% of UCLA business school (Anderson UG) grads were employed within three months in 2022, average starting salary $75,000
- In 2023, 76% of UCLA arts and architecture undergraduates secured jobs in creative industries post-graduation
- UCLA public affairs undergrads achieved 93% placement rate in nonprofit/government sectors in 2022
- 85% of UCLA life sciences undergrads entered healthcare or biotech fields within one year, median salary $70,000 in 2022
- In fall 2022, UCLA had 15,000 undergraduate student employees on campus
- 62% of UCLA undergrads participated in internships during 2022-2023 academic year
- UCLA undergrads received over 5,000 internship offers via Handshake in 2023
- 72% of surveyed UCLA seniors had at least one internship experience by graduation in 2023
- UCLA film/TV undergrads had 88% employment rate in media industry six months post-grad 2022
- 80% of UCLA nursing undergrads passed licensure and secured jobs immediately in 2022
- In 2023, top industries for UCLA undergrads: tech (28%), consulting (15%), finance (12%)
- Average time to employment for UCLA undergrads: 2.8 months in 2022
- 65% of UCLA undergrads from low-income backgrounds secured internships in 2023
- UCLA undergrads in computer science had 97% placement rate, avg salary $120,000 in 2023
- 55% of UCLA humanities undergrads pursued grad school, 35% employed in education sector 2022
- UCLA offered 2,500 work-study positions to undergrads in 2022-2023
- 92% of UCLA psych undergrads employed or in grad school, 40% in mental health fields 2023
- In 2022, UCLA undergrads landed 1,200 jobs at FAANG companies post-graduation
- 78% retention rate for UCLA undergrad interns converting to full-time offers 2023
- UCLA economics undergrads: 89% employed, median salary $72,000 in 2022
- 70% of UCLA poli sci undergrads in public policy/gov jobs within one year 2023
- UCLA had 3,000+ undergrad research positions filled in 2022
- 84% of UCLA design|media arts grads employed in design firms 2022
- Top employers for UCLA undergrads 2023: Google (450 hires), Deloitte (300)
- 96% of UCLA math undergrads in data science/tech roles 2022
- UCLA undergrads average 3.2 job offers each in 2023 senior survey
- 67% of UCLA history majors in museums/education/archival jobs 2022
- UCLA undergrad entrepreneurship program placed 150 in startups 2023
- 95% of UCLA law & society undergrads in legal/paralegal roles 2022
Undergraduate Employment Interpretation
While UCLA graduates are impressively and almost uniformly employed, it seems the only thing spreading faster than their career success is the creeping suspicion that the university is running a highly sophisticated, multi-billion dollar headhunting agency disguised as a school.
Sources & References
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