We analyze the characteristics of students who study at a university of cooperative education (UCE), focusing on how their studies influence their career and their personal contentedness. Based on data for a UCE operating in the sports and fitness sector, our empirical analysis shows that about one out of three students starts follow-up studies or has plans to do so. However, only a small proportion of these students attend public universities. Our empirical results contradict the widely-held view that studies at a UCE increase the flexibility of graduates and serve as stepping stones for a job career. Rather, whether graduates change the sector they work in does not depend upon specific personal skills. Further, graduates’ current job situation differs from expectations students had before they began their studies. We discuss alternative interpretations that may help to explain our empirical results.

Keywords
Universities of Cooperative Education, Evolution of Universities, Labor Market