Phoenix – September 17, 2026 -- Ninety-eight percent of managers who directly supervise University of Phoenix graduates report overall satisfaction with those employees, and 97% say they would likely hire another University of Phoenix graduate in the future, according to new research from The Harris Poll commissioned by the university.
Harris Poll surveys 408 U.S. managers to benchmark employer experience
The Harris Poll conducted an online survey from June 4-25, 2026, among 204 U.S. managers supervising at least one University of Phoenix graduate and 204 managers supervising graduates from other colleges and universities. Of 1,796 individuals contacted, 96% met screening requirements (n=1,728), and 24% of the qualified sample completed the survey. Results carry a Bayesian credible interval of ±8.6 percentage points for the University of Phoenix group and ±8.0 percentage points for the benchmark group at a 95% confidence level.
University of Phoenix graduates outperform benchmark group on three key metrics
Managers supervising University of Phoenix graduates reported a 98% positive perception rate, compared with 88% among managers supervising graduates from other institutions. Overall satisfaction stood at 98% versus 90% for the benchmark group, while 94% rated University of Phoenix graduates as excellent or above-average performers, compared with 79% for graduates from other schools. The university noted these figures reflect self-reported manager experiences and are not a controlled comparison of individual graduates or institutions.
Provost links findings to skills-mapped curriculum design
"Employers experience higher education in a very practical way — through the people they hire, manage and rely on every day," said John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer of University of Phoenix. The university said its associate, bachelor's and master's programs use skills-mapped curricula and faculty with professional experience to align coursework with workplace demands.
Data weighted to Dun & Bradstreet employer-size distribution
Survey responses were weighted by employer type and matched to national employer-size segments based on Dun & Bradstreet data to reflect real-world proportions among U.S. employers with two or more employees. The university said additional findings on job readiness, applied workplace skills and workforce alignment will be released in forthcoming announcements.