Northeast Community College’s latest Annual Report confirms the varied workforce careers that graduates have entered. It also shows that 99% of 2025 graduates either found jobs or continued their education after graduation.
It is the fourth consecutive year that Northeast has achieved the 99% success rate, with rates from other years often 97% or higher.
The report, which was released to the Northeast Board of Governors on Thursday, January 8 -- demonstrates several points of pride.
- 91% of Northeast graduates are employed in Nebraska.
- 89% of Northeast graduates in career and technical programs are employed in their field of study.
- 52% of Northeast graduates stayed in the 20-county service region.
“What makes Northeast one of the best community colleges in the nation isn’t what we do, it’s how we do it,” said Leah Barrett, president of Northeast, who presented highlights of the annual report along with Terri Heggemeyer, director of Career Services, to board members.
Heggemeyer discussed some of the services that she and her staff provide at Career Services, including assisting graduates who want to come back and learn new skills.
“We truly serve as a coach, a motivator, a cheerleader. We want to see all our learners be successful as they continue to grow and learn and enhance their lifestyles,” Heggemeyer said.
Of the 919 graduates, 868 provided responses used to compile the report. That translates into about a 95% collection rate, with faculty, extended campuses and others working to get the high collection rate.
Analyzed further, it includes 472 graduates who are working and 379 graduates who are continuing their education. These figures are comparable to recent years.
The graduating class has 91% working in Nebraska, with 52% employed in the 20-county service area. Just 9% of graduates are employed outside the state. Not surprisingly, the near border states of South Dakota and Iowa have hired the most graduates outside of Nebraska.
The report also highlights institutional activities and progress toward strategic measurements. Points of interest include:
- Northeast’s full-time degree-seeking retention rate is 75%, which is 10% higher than the national average of 65%.
- Northeast’s three-year graduation rate is 56%, considerably higher than the national three-year graduation rate of 34%.
- One out of every 34 jobs in the Northeast service area is supported by the activities of Northeast and its students. The total economic impact is nearly $227 million.
- Northeast partnered with 123 high schools, serving 2,696 students in 2024-25, a 7% increase from the previous year.
The 2025 Northeast Community College Annual Report may be accessed online on the Northeast Community College website at https://northeast.edu/_documents/about-us/strategic-plan/2024-25annualreport.pdf
Finding Work
Students and employers have opportunities to exchange information during job and career fairs. This one last March, one of several that Northeast hosts each year, helps graduates find jobs and employers recruit workers. (Northeast Community College)
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