16th ALMALAUREA REPORT ON ITALIAN UNIVERSITY GRADUATES’ PROFILE Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education in Italy

The 16th ALMALAUREA Report on Italian University Graduates’ Profile was presented at the Conference in Pollenzo-Bra – hosted by the University of Gastronomic Sciences. The data on which this Report is based refers to 64 universities (out of the 65 which are part of the consortium) which have been part of ALMALAUREA for at least one year, and almost 230 thousand graduates in 2013 – which is almost 80% of students who graduated from Italian universities. This Report devotes particular attention to a number of issues which characterize the debate on higher education. These include: graduates’ features at the beginning of their university studies; working students and class attendance; traineeships; study experiences abroad; degree completion times; the significance of exam and graduation grades; graduates’ evaluation of their university experience; student support services; student living conditions in university towns; study and employment prospects after graduation; adults at university; graduates with foreign citizenship. An overview of the outcomes achieved by graduates in 2013 confirms – despite the country’s negative economic and social context – an overall promising situation. Indeed, more students have completed their studies within the prescribed time frame, class attendance has improved, students have carried out more traineeships and internships and continue to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad.