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).

Nearly all the business disciplines saw increases to their average salary offers. Business administration/management graduates saw their average rise 3.9 percent to $43,701. The average offer to economics (business/managerial) grads was $48,483 and the average offer to finance grads was $47,239.*

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

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

"The increased hiring of new college graduates as reported in the NACE Job Outlook 2007 Spring Update survey is translating into even higher average starting salary offers," said Mackes. "In that survey, 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."

NACE will take one final look at starting salaries for 2006-07 graduates in the Fall 2007 Salary Survey report, which will be published in early September.

*Note: Until this year, these disciplines were reported as one; therefore, there is no historical data for comparison.