This fall, nearly 1,800 University of Iowa undergraduate, graduate, and professional students will graduate. Despite the challenges of navigating their college education through a pandemic, Hawkeyes persisted. They continued to excel and stretch. To engage and choose and serve.

Take, for example, the 22 students and alumni who won Fulbright scholarships to conduct research, teach English, or undertake creative projects abroad, making Iowa a top-producing institution of Fulbright students nationally for the sixth consecutive year. Or the students who produce The Daily Iowan, which was named an Online Pacemaker winner by the Associated Press for 2020–21 as well as the 2021 Iowa Newspaper of the Year by the Iowa Newspaper Association. Or the 19 honors students whose retelling of The Great Gatsby garnered a film option.

Not only have our students persisted, they have pushed to achieve more. Hundreds of student volunteers raised funds for Dance Marathon, helping pediatric cancer patients and their families at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, while the student-run UI Mobile Clinic offered free telehealth services and vaccinated more than 1,000 people.

As 2021 comes to a close, we can count on one thing: With this cohort of new graduates comes a new dawn. As Hawkeyes enter the next stage of their lives, they leave campus full of potential and promise.

If you or a loved one is graduating this fall, find ceremony information at the UI Commencement website.

What are previous grads doing?

Of the Hawkeyes who graduated in the 2019–20 academic year…

• 93% found a job, continued their education, or are not seeking employment
• Their median salary is $50,000
• 23% chose to continue their education

These are our latest stats, and they come from a survey of graduates completed six to seven months after graduation. More about Hawkeye grads and student outcomes is available at the Pomerantz Career Center.