New Illini Success data for the 2024–2025 academic year shows that graduates of Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continue to achieve strong career outcomes, with high rates of employment and continuing education alongside competitive compensation.
According to the latest report, 96% of the Gies Business undergraduate Class of 2025 secured a successful first destination, either employment or continuing education, within six months of graduation. Each of the College’s 11 majors boast a successful outcomes rate of at least 95 percent, underscoring the depth and quality of the education at Gies Business.
Among those graduates, 78% entered the workforce while 19% pursued additional education, reflecting a balance of immediate career placement and continued academic advancement.
Compensation outcomes remained strong. Gies Business graduates reported a median starting salary of $81,000 and an average salary of $81,621, with an average signing bonus of $7,180. All three of those figures are all-time highs for Gies Business and align with broader higher education trends showing business graduates among the highest compensated across disciplines.
In a highly competitive job market – with fewer entry-level roles and rising expectations for experience making it harder to secure stable positions – Gies Business graduates continue to excel. At the same time, rapid advances in AI are adding uncertainty, as graduates face shifting skill demands and concern that some traditional career paths may be disrupted or automated. Gies Business students are adding value to organizations from day one with a combination of AI fluency and an understanding of how to adapt to and thrive with emerging technologies.
That preparation is already paying off for students like Valerie Zapata, a BS in Marketing student graduating in 2026, who says those results reflect a broader ecosystem of support and preparation.
“To put it simply, Gies cares,” Zapata said. “From its core curriculum to the Success Lab and the Office of Career and Professional Development, Gies makes sure to have resources for its students to succeed. There is not a question a student can have that does not have a path to an answer.”
Zapata said early engagement with the Office of Career and Professional Development helped her translate that support into action.
“Before reaching out, I felt confused on where to start,” she said. “The center built me up; I have the abilities now to succeed while feeling secure in the process.”
Applied learning, measurable impact
The outcomes data reflects more than placement rates; it points to how students are prepared. Experiential learning continues to be a defining component of the Gies Business model, giving students opportunities to apply classroom concepts in real-world settings.
Gies Business offers the nation’s largest experiential learning course, with over 850 students completing the course each year. In BUS 301: Business in Action, students spend the semester analyzing and solving business problems for organizations. Zapata highlighted her experience in that course, where she worked directly with a local company, as a catalyst for success.
“I worked with a business in the Champaign area to redesign their website,” she said. “Through determination, we came up with a deliverable our client implemented during our final meeting. Through this, I learned that what we do in class is more than just coursework; it has actual impact.”
Experiences like these are common across the College and align with broader university findings that students who participate in internships, client projects, or study abroad programs are significantly more likely to secure employment after graduation.
Zapata also emphasized the role of global learning in building both skills and confidence.
“I had the privilege to study abroad three times with Gies Global Programs,” she said. “I not only learned about business in Illinois, but I’m able to compare it with business in different parts of the world.”
Oscar Garcia, who earned his BS in Finance in 2025, similarly pointed to the combination of coursework, internships, and career preparation as central to his post-graduation success in banking. Through hands-on experiences and targeted career support, Garcia developed the technical and professional skills needed to transition into the workforce.
Across the College, graduates secured roles in fields including finance, consulting, technology, marketing, and supply chain, with employers spanning national and global organizations. Industry data shows that sectors such as accounting, financial services, consulting, and technology remain among the largest employers of Illinois graduates.
Consistency across outcomes
The 2024–2025 Illini Success data reflects a consistent pattern for Gies Business: strong placement rates, steady salary outcomes, and broad industry demand.
Zapata said that preparation extends beyond technical skills.
“Gies’ experiential learning has been essential in preparing me to feel confident in my future career,” she said.
As Gies Business continues to evolve its curriculum and expand experiential opportunities, the latest Illini Success outcomes suggest that its approach – grounded in applied learning, global exposure, and career development – continues to translate into measurable results for graduates entering a competitive and ever-changing job market