Penn State is among the nation’s best employers for recent college graduates, according to Forbes’ annual rankings that include businesses and organizations with at least 1,000 employees.

The annual rankings — based on criteria such as opportunities for advancement, work environment and competitiveness of compensation — ranked Penn State at No. 38 on a list that includes the top 250 such employers. When it came to the best employers in education, only Notre Dame (No. 33) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (No. 4) ranked above Penn State.

That made Penn State the top-ranked employer in the Big Ten, ahead of Ohio State (No. 104), Northwestern (No. 119) and Michigan (No. 140). Pitt also finished at No. 89.

“In a rapidly changing world, Penn State stands as an employer of choice,” Lorraine Goffe, PSU vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer, said in a written statement. “We continue to innovate and evolve as an organization with the needs of our workforce in mind. I am delighted that Forbes has recognized Penn State as a top employer of recent graduates.”

According to the university, about 18.4% of full-time employees there are younger than 35 years old.

The Forbes’ list was determined with the help of market research company Statista, which surveyed more than 20,000 Americans with less than 10 years professional experience at employers with at least 1,000 workers. Surveys were kept anonymous, and participants were also asked how likely they would recommend their employer to others.

Data for individual employers, such as Penn State, were not made public. But Forbes took the 250 employers that received the most recommendations and then ranked them. Merck & Co., in the drugs and biotechnology industry, ranked No. 1 overall.

“By establishing and maintaining a reputation as a top employer for new graduates, we can attract and keep vibrant talent to fill roles that will benefit generations of Pennsylvanians,” university President Eric Barron said. “As Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution, our mission is to offer not only unparalleled access to education and public service across the commonwealth, but also to act as a substantial contributor to the state’s economy.”

Barron alluded to a 2019 university study that estimated Penn State contributed more than $11.6 billion in one fiscal year to the commonwealth’s economy.

The full Forbes rankings can be found at forbes.com/best-employers-for-new-grads.

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