2026 UMSI employment reports show strong outcomes in rapidly changing industries

The University of Michigan School of Information has released its 2026 employment reports. As artificial intelligence changes how organizations work and who they hire, UMSI graduates continue to find strong outcomes and salaries. 

“The shift we’re seeing isn’t about AI replacing talent,” says Joanna Kroll, director of career development at UMSI. “But AI is redefining value. Companies need professionals who can evaluate AI outputs, question underlying assumptions and ensure technology ethically serves human needs.”

UMSI graduates are able to bring these skills to roles across industries. 

Where are UMSI grads landing jobs?

In a survey of the class of 2025 conducted by UMSI’s Career Development Office, the top industries hiring UMSI graduates included technology, consulting, financial services, health/medicine and consumer goods. 

Employment rates sat at 97%, 88%, 89% and 100% for graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Information, Master of Science in Information, Master of Health Informatics and PhD in Information programs respectively. 

Companies with the most UMSI hires from the class of 2025 included Microsoft, Adobe, JPMorgan Chase, IBM, Accenture, Deloitte, Epic, Michigan Medicine and Stellantis.

UMSI graduates commanded competitive salaries relative to national averages. BSI graduates reported an average starting salary of $90,000, while MSI graduates reported an average of $91,000 and MHI graduates reported an average of $81,000. 

In the private sector, MSI graduates reported an average salary of $95,000, while those working in technology averaged $103,000. MHI graduates working in consulting and technology averaged $97,000.

The average job search length was three to four months for BSI, MSI and MHI graduates. 

Sixty-two percent of respondents who graduated from the online Master of Applied Data Science program landed their first job in the data science field after completing the degree, with an additional 8% securing a promotion in their current organization. 

For MADS graduates pivoting into the data science field, top industries included tech, financial services, health/medicine and startups. 

UMSI’s PhD graduates pursued research-focused careers in both academia and industry. Among the 26 doctoral graduates in 2025, 62% entered academia in tenure-track or postdoctoral positions, 23% entered industry, 12% took alternative academic positions and 3% entered government. 

Industry trends

Kroll says employers are increasingly seeking graduates who can combine UX expertise with skills in AI, data, business strategy and product thinking. 

This year’s reports show an increase in hybrid roles like UX strategist, human-centered design analyst and AI UX designer. Product management is also a fast-growing destination — a trend UMSI responded to by introducing a product management pathway for MSI students this fall. 

“This is where the industry is moving,” Kroll says. “Our graduates are not only being hired for traditional UX design and UX research roles but also for emerging pathways.”

Across degree programs, UMSI graduates took on AI-focused roles like AI engineer, AI designer and AI evaluation specialist. 

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 70% of organizations now use skills-based hiring practices for entry-level roles. This means they’re looking for evidence of what students can do. 

Across programs, the class of 2025 cited the preparation UMSI builds into the curriculum — including career courses, capstone and mastery courses, for-credit internships and client-based projects — as crucial to their job outcomes. 

“UMSI’s curriculum is designed specifically for this shift,” Kroll says. “Students graduate with extensive experiential learning, so they can go into interviews ready to show, not just tell, what they’ve built and solved.”

Job search strategies that work

Networking continued to top the list of effective job search methods reported by UMSI graduates.  

“In today’s market, where it is difficult for recruiters to cut through the noise of AI-generated job applications, access to a professional network makes all the difference in helping grads stand out,” Kroll says. 

The CDO connects students with alumni and industry leaders through career mentorship programs, on-campus recruiting, grants to attend professional conferences and funding for unpaid and underpaid internships.  

Internships were a significant factor in graduates’ job outcomes. Ninety-five percent of BSI graduates and 97% of MSI graduates said their internship was important to their job outcome, while 90% of MHI graduates said the same. Half of BSI graduates accepted return offers from internships, as did 20% of MSI graduates.

View the full career outcomes in the 2026 employment reports.