Alumni Outcomes from Strada Survey

Sayeeda Jamilah

Insight Brief- Published April 8, 2026

Executive Summary

First published in 2023, this updated report presents findings on an alumni survey aimed to build understanding of the perceived value of the Dallas College experience among former students. This survey was launched by the Research Institute at Dallas College in collaboration with Strada Education Network as a part of the Institution’s first survey tailored to two-year colleges in fall 2022. Responses were gathered from over 1,500 former students who completed 12 semester credit hours or more at Dallas College between 2012 and 2022.   

Dallas College alumni were divided into four groups for this report: All Students, Associate Completers, Certificate Completers, and No Dallas College Credential (including transfers, some college, and no degree). Survey takers rated how positive their experience at Dallas College was in terms of: education cost, goal achievement, community experiences, education value, career readiness, and education attainment since Dallas College. This study also explores alumni areas of employment and income and makes recommendations to the college based off findings.   

Key findings are as follows: 

• Dallas College alumni reported more positive perceptions of their educational experiences than a nationally representative sample of community college students across multiple dimensions, including academic, career, community, and support services. 

• Across all credential levels, alumni rated Dallas College highly on perceived value, skills development, career preparation, affinity, satisfaction, and life impact. 

• Positive perceptions of value extended to all alumni, including those who did not earn a credential or degree at Dallas College. This group includes a large proportion of transfer students, many of whom completed bachelor’s degrees elsewhere, contributing to stronger employment, earnings, and educational attainment outcomes for this category. 

• While associate degree completers expressed the strongest positive perceptions of educational value and institutional impact compared with certificate completers and those without a credential, they demonstrated weaker outcomes in employment status, earnings, and further educational attainment than other credential groups, including alumni without a Dallas College credential. 

• Alumni outcomes suggest that value was often assessed based on individualized goals and motivations, rather than traditional postsecondary success metrics such as income growth or career advancement. 

• Survey findings should be interpreted cautiously due to self-selection and demographic overrepresentation, particularly of White, non-Hispanic/Latino alumni and transfer students. 

• Despite limitations, the Strada survey represents the first institution-wide effort at Dallas College to collect comprehensive alumni outcomes data and has laid the foundation for ongoing initiatives such as the First Destination Survey and future alumni research. 

In all, associate degrees and certificates alone may not consistently lead to strong labor market outcomes, which is why supporting vertical transfer to bachelor’s degrees remains critical for economic mobility. Stronger alumni–employer and alumni–alumni connections can also improve career outcomes and help graduates make informed decisions about further education and employment. Ongoing alumni outcome assessments are essential to evaluate the evolving value of education. 

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