Employers continue to offer higher starting salaries to new college graduates across many disciplines, according to the Summer 2007 issue of Salary Survey, a quarterly report published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

“This continues the positive trend reported in the Winter and Spring issues of Salary Survey,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

"Nearly nine out of 10 employers reported that they’re seeing more competition for new college graduates than in past years, and they believe that competition will continue to increase in the coming years.” Competition for new college grads fuels higher starting salary offers in many curriculum areas.

The average offer to mechanical engineering graduates rose 4.6 percent to $54,128, and electrical engineering grads’ offer increased by 3.2 percent, bringing their average offer to $55,292.

Chemical and civil engineering grads saw a 5.4 percent increase, bringing their average offers to $59,361 and $48,509, respectively.

Computer engineering grads posted a 4.8 percent increase, boosting their average offer to $56,201.

The computer science disciplines posted increases across the board. Computer science grads saw an increase of 4.1 percent, brining their average offer to $53,396. Information sciences and systems graduates’ average offer rose to $50,852, a 4.6 percent increase.

Management information systems/business data processing grads also fared well, posting a 4.2 percent increase to their average starting salary offer, raising it to $47,648.

Nearly all the business disciplines saw increases to their average salary offers. Accounting grads’ average offer rose 2.3 percent, bringing their average offer to $46,718, and business administration/management graduates saw their average rise 3.9 percent to $43,701.

These results suggest that the increased hiring for new college graduates is in fact translating into higher average starting salary offers.