A survey of alumni from the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware was conducted to assess the impact of the undergraduate research experience. Students who had participated in undergraduate research were matched with a comparable group of alumni who had no research experience.

Alumni were unaware that their responses would be used to assess the impact of undergraduate research. Respondents who had participated in research indicated that this experience was “very” or “extremely” important, with a greater perceived benefit for students who had participated in research for a longer time. Alumni with research experience were more likely to pursue graduate degrees, and they reported greater enhancement of important cognitive and personal skills. In addition, respondents who had been involved in research were much more likely to have reported that they had a faculty member play an important role in their career choice.