Oswego’s newest graduates helping power NY’s future

Every year, a new class of Lakers arrives on Oswego's beautiful lakeside campus, while another class watches one final spectacular sunset and prepares to launch into the world. In addition to their academic degrees, they carry with them the Oswego Promise, a 165-year-old legacy of academic rigor, hands-on opportunity and a commitment to advancing the common good.

With the newest alumni taking their first steps into their professional lives, the numbers tell a story: SUNY Oswego graduates are succeeding at the highest possible level.

According to the latest graduate outcomes data, an extraordinary 96 percent of recent SUNY Oswego graduates are employed and/or continuing their education within one year of graduation. This isn't just about finding a job — it’s about landing the right job. A remarkable 94 percent of those working full-time are employed in their field of choice, showing that an Oswego education aligns directly with industry demand and personal passion.

Across every single school and college on campus, this exceptional career placement is the standard:

• College of Business and Entrepreneurship: Achieves a 97 percent placement rate, with graduates recruited by world-class firms such as Chase, Equitable Advisors, EY, KPMG and Wells Fargo.
• College of Communication, Media and the Arts: Boasts a 98 percent placement rate, with graduates launching careers at media giants like Major League Baseball, Disney College Program, CNYCentral, Turning Stone Enterprises and Monster Energy Company.
• College of Education, Health and Human Services: Reaches a 98 percent placement rate, sending dedicated professionals to vital roles at Empire Dermatology, Saratoga Hospital, Oswego County Opportunities, Cornell Cooperative Extension and school districts across New York state.
• College of Liberal Arts, Sciences and Engineering: Maintains a 93 percent placement rate, with alumni securing roles in environments like IBM, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Novelis, Constellation, New York State Assembly and Lockheed Martin.

But where do these talented graduates go when they leave Oswego? While their impact is felt globally, the vast majority choose to make their mark close at home.

A massive 86 percent of working graduates remain in New York state. The two largest destinations for these young professionals are the the rapidly transforming landscape of Central New York (39 percent) and thriving financial and cultural hub of New York City (14 percent).

Powering CNY's renaissance

Central New York is currently standing at the threshold of a once-in-a-lifetime economic transformation. With historic investments flowing into the region — highlighted by Micron Technology's planned $100 billion semiconductor facility in Clay, which is projected to create nearly 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, and the $13.6 million expansion of the Oswego County Industrial Park — the demand for top-tier talent has never been higher.

SUNY Oswego serves as a primary engine for this regional rebirth. Through the university's bold Vision 4040 initiative, Oswego has committed to doubling the number of degrees, certificates and credentials it awards by 2040 to directly supply the workforce our region needs.

Recent graduates are stepping directly into this exciting future. Of the graduates who remain in New York state, a large percentage choose to live and work in Central New York, bringing fresh energy, technical skill and leadership to local communities.

2025 CNY grad stats by county

These new professionals are joining a deeply rooted, fiercely loyal network of nearly 22,000 SUNY Oswego alumni already living in CNY. This powerful local alumni footprint spans five core counties:

• Onondaga County: Home to 12,268 alumni (56 percent of the CNY footprint)
• Oswego County: Home to 6,404 alumni (30 percent of the CNY footprint)
• Cayuga County: Home to 1,867 alumni (9 percent of the CNY footprint)
• Madison County: Home to 747 alumni (3 percent of the CNY footprint)
• Cortland County: Home to 366 alumni (2 percent of the CNY footprint)

For the newest graduates staying in CNY, the career opportunities are diverse and prestigious. Recent Class of 2025 graduates have secured highlights at premier regional employers across five key sectors:

• Engineering and manufacturing: Grads are launching careers at global giants like Lockheed Martin, Constellation, National Grid, BAE Systems and Novelis.
• Healthcare and life sciences: Young alumni are powering critical care at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Ivy Rehab Network, Newcomer Funeral Service Group and Advance Testing.
• Business, finance and professional services: Lakers are thriving at BHG Financial, Bonadio Group, Chase, FustCharles, KPMG and Wells Fargo Advisors.
• Government, education and public service: Grads are educating the next generation and protecting the environment at Syracuse City School District, Wayne County Department of Aging and Youth and Oswego City School District.
• Communications and operations: Alumni are on the frontlines of logistics and media at Feld Entertainment, Frigg PR & Marketing, News Channel 9 WSYR-TV and Nexstar Media Group.

In these ways, Oswego grads are directly shaping the social and economic fabric of Central New York every single day.

From Oswego to the Big Apple

While CNY serves as the home base for many, the magnetic pull of New York City attracts a major portion of ambitious graduates. In fact, 14 percent of Oswego’s in-state employed graduates head directly to NYC, transforming the skills they honed on the lakeshore into success on the streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn and beyond.

Oswego graduates are successfully navigating the highly competitive NYC market, securing positions at some of the world's most prestigious organizations.

For those graduates choosing to further their studies, NYC's academic institutions are a major draw. Recent young alumni have enrolled in top graduate programs at Brooklyn College, New York University (NYU), Mercy University and CUNY Baruch College.

Whether launching a career in financial tech, reporting on breaking news or studying at a top-tier graduate school, NYC Lakers continue to establish that the grit and determination developed during Oswego winters can conquer any environment.

Experience, support create success

This level of exceptional career placement is the direct result of a university-wide dedication to experiential learning and personal mentorship.

A key pillar of this success is the massive growth of paid internships courtesy of the Office of Experiential Learning. SUNY Oswego has aggressively prioritized paid opportunities for students, driving the percentage of paid internships from 49 percent in fall 2023 to an outstanding 71 percent. These hands-on experiences allow students to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application, making them highly competitive candidates the moment they graduate.

Career Services staff members work directly with faculty to tie academic objectives with career competencies to help students make a direct connection between classroom learning and professional preparation. Career Services also integrates career readiness through a broad ecosystem that reaches students through their campus affiliations, including such areas as athletics, Greek life or their student organizations.

"We’re working to embed career readiness throughout the Oswego experience, particularly within the academic curriculum,” said Gary Morris, director of Career Services and a 1988 SUNY Oswego graduate. “That includes mapping career milestones across a student’s four years, helping students understand how their majors connect to a range of career pathways, and developing syllabi content that help students make the connection between classroom assignments and the critical skills students will need after graduation. We are also helping students recognize how their experiences in athletics, Greek life, student organizations, leadership roles, internships and other activities have helped them develop skills that make them more marketable.

“When students can connect the dots between their Oswego experience and the skills they bring to an employer or graduate program, they’re better prepared to communicate their value and make a successful transition after graduation,” he said. “The fact that 96 percent of our 2025 graduates are employed, continuing their education or doing both is a powerful reflection of that intentional, campus-wide approach to career readiness.”

Behind every successful graduate is a robust network of support, spearheaded by SUNY Oswego's Career Services team. In just a single year, Career Services drives student success through:

• 1,500+ personal 1:1 meetings with students to polish resumes and map career paths
• 2,700+ connections with new employers in 2025, expanding the Laker pipeline
• 109,600+ internship and job opportunities posted on Handshake
• Attaining 250 percent above the national average in student engagement in Handshake, the No. 1 site for college students to find job

From the moment they arrive on campus, students are paired with dedicated professional advisors and faculty mentors who guide them toward their professional goals. It is a personal, relational approach to education: one student, one relationship and one transformed life at a time.

Power of the Laker Network

Alumni are the living proof of the value of a SUNY Oswego education. The Laker familiy is known as a fiercely loyal team of nearly 98,000 alumni worldwide — including the 22,000 of us living and working in Central New York.

The newest graduates have shown that they are ready, capable and driven, but their continued success depends on the strength of the network that precedes them.

Officials offered these ways for alumni to help keep the Oswego Promise alive for the next generation of Lakers:

• Hire a Laker: If your organization has open positions or internships, look to Oswego first. Engage with Career Services to recruit the next wave of talent.
• Be a mentor: Share your professional journey, offer resume feedback or conduct informational interviews with current students and young alumni.
• Connect locally: Attend regional alumni events in CNY, NYC and beyond to strengthen the network's professional and social ties.

When SUNY Oswego succeeds, Central New York and the entire state grow stronger. Together, the Laker family can ensure that every new graduate who stands on the shores of Lake Ontario knows they have a powerful, supportive community waiting to welcome them into the workforce and beyond.

-- Submitted by University Advancement