UCF is the No. 2 university in Florida for producing highly skilled employees for some of the world’s most prominent technology companies, according to a new survey from TonerGiant.
Approximately 2,500 UCF alumni have worked for such innovation leaders as Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM and Oracle. Of the 26 companies included in the survey, Amazon has been the leading employer for UCF alumni. More than 730 UCF graduates have worked at Amazon.
Among Florida universities, UCF is the leading producer of talent for both Uber and YouTube, and the second-leading producer for Amazon, Apple, Google, Accenture, and Oracle.
A listing of the top ten surveyed tech giants employing UCF graduates and the number of alumni they have employed follows:
Amazon 733
Apple 425
Google 265
Oracle 233
Accenture 183
IBM 166
Intel 106
Uber 102
Cisco 98
YouTube 70
UCF has long been viewed as a top supplier of highly skilled talent for leading companies and organizations across the globe. The university has previously been ranked the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industries by Aviation Week. Last year, UCF ranked 25th among American public universities for producing patents and 60th in the world. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report ranked UCF the No. 15 Most Innovative University in the nation.
UCF also is a top producer of talent for the digital media and video game industry. The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, which has been named the No. 1 graduate game design program in the world for three straight years, has over 850 graduates now employed by more than 300 companies around the world. The starting salary for graduates is over $70,000 annually. Top employers include Electronic Arts, Iron Galaxy and Epic Games.
The TonerGiant survey ranked Florida No. 8 in the nation for producing tech talent. In total, more than 15,000 graduates from Florida universities have worked within the surveyed tech companies. Nearly 3,000 Florida alumni have worked within Amazon. Apple and Google follow with roughly 1,500 and 1,400 Florida grads, respectively.
The TonerGiant survey used LinkedIn data as well as personal polling to gather graduation information from more than 500,000 individuals. The analysis includes more than 200 public and private institutions within the U.S. as well as 150 colleges and universities in the United Kingdom.