SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Finding a job after graduating college is a priority for students. It’s even more important when they find a job in their major. At Augustana University, a high number of students are achieving that goal.

99% of 2021 graduates at Augustana University found a job in their major or chosen field.

For students like Nasteho Abdi, who is pursuing a degree in psychology, that kind of statistic is good news.

“It makes me feel confident and a little at ease knowing that as soon as I graduate I have a pretty good potential of finding a job,” student, Nasteho Abdi said.

Assistant vice provost of student success, Billie Streufert says it takes a village.

“I think these numbers speak volumes about Augustana and also the broader Sioux Falls community, we are very fortunate to be located in a community that offers robust opportunities from the point of entry, meaningful volunteer opportunities for our first-year students, internships, research,” assistant vice provost of student success, Billie Streufert said.

She also credits the work done by the Student Success Center.

“We are unique in that every student is paired with a faculty academic advisor as well as a career specialist, we hunt and gather all the opportunities that exist, not only regionally but across the globe,” Streufert said.

72% of full-time graduates are working in South Dakota, 60% are in the Sioux Falls area.

“We import talent to South Dakota, not all of our freshman are from the region compared to other schools,” Streufert said. “Students discover meaningful employers through internships and employers get a steady pipeline of talent that they can seamlessly convert to full-time hires.”

And while Abdi is only a freshman, she looks forward to her own success at Augustana.

“I knew initially that I wanted to go to a smaller school because it would be more intimate and one on one, help with my professors, and the professors here are really great,” Abdi said.

Some of the top occupations for 2021 graduates were nursing, business, and education.