In 2026, placement for grande école graduates remains solid but is softening: a 80.2% net employment rate, 83.5% on permanent contracts, and a median gross salary > €39,500 (CGE 2025 survey). The network carries real weight: ~15% of first jobs come through professional social networks, and at the Financial Times 56% of an MBA school's score comes from alumni responses — with a 20% participation threshold below which the school is not ranked. On the tooling side, the market ranges from €0 to over $8,000/year, and 5 of 9 vendors hide their prices.
1. Graduate placement in 2026
The latest CGE placement survey (conducted in early 2025 on the 2024 graduating class, published in June 2025) confirms a market that is still favorable, but slipping after several strong years.
| Indicator | 2025 value | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Net employment rate (all schools) | 80.2% | −5.6 points vs prior year |
| Share of graduates on permanent contracts | 83.5% | Stable / high |
| Median annual gross salary (excluding bonuses) | > €39,500 | + €500 vs prior year |
| Survey base | 104,106 graduates · ~200 schools | 139 engineering, 38 business, 27 other |
The takeaway for an alumni leadership team: the first job remains within reach, but the drop in the employment rate (−5.6 points) and the shrinking number of openings mean that career support is becoming a differentiator again. That is exactly where an active alumni network makes the difference — and where its real value is measured, beyond the number of registrations (see measuring the value of an alumni network).
2. The alumni network as an employment channel and a ranking lever
The network isn't just a nice-to-have: it's a measurable placement channel and a direct driver of the school's reputation.
As an employment channel. According to the CGE placement survey, roughly 15% of first jobs come through professional social networks — the "network" channel in the broad sense is one of the very first, behind the final-year internship. A school's alumni network is the in-house version of it, particularly decisive for young graduates (see engaging young graduates).
As a ranking lever. In the Financial Times Global MBA ranking, 8 of the 21 criteria — i.e. 56% of the score — come from a survey of graduates. Crucially, a school must obtain at least 20% of responses to that survey (from the class that graduated three years earlier) to appear in the ranking: in the 2026 edition, the overall response rate was only 33%, and schools such as Columbia and SDA Bocconi dropped out of the top 10 for failing to reach the participation threshold. In other words, your alumni's response rate determines your very presence in the ranking — we detail this in alumni networks and school rankings and, on the methodology side, in survey response rates.
3. The alumni software market
The final piece: how much the tooling costs. Our price observatory (June 2026 reading, across 9 platforms) gives the market's orders of magnitude.
| Market indicator | Finding (June 2026) |
|---|---|
| Market price range | €0 to over $8,000/year |
| Price transparency | 4 of 9 vendors publish a price; 5 are "on request" |
| Alumni-dedicated segment with a public price | Rare — Terrilink: €69 to 299/month |
The lesson: in the specialized segment, price opacity remains the norm, which prevents the buyer from comparing and budgeting without entering a sales cycle. For the detail of the hidden costs to flush out before signing, see how much an alumni software costs.
What the barometer tells an alumni leadership team
Three messages emerge, backed by figures. One: placement is softening, so career support through the network regains value — this is the moment to invest in the relationship, not to let it slip. Two: your alumni's engagement isn't just a community metric; it determines both your measured placement and your place in the rankings. Three: the tooling doesn't have to be a black box — demand a public price and a trial before committing.
We'll update this barometer with each new official release (CGE survey, ranking editions, price reading). If you spot a more recent figure or a source to add, get in touch.
Sources. Placement: Conférence des grandes écoles — Placement Survey, 2025 edition (conducted January–March 2025 on the 2024 graduating class, press release of June 12, 2025): net employment rate 80.2%, share on permanent contracts 83.5%, median gross salary > €39,500 excluding bonuses, base of 104,106 graduates surveyed across ~200 schools; the share of first jobs via professional social networks (~15%) comes from the same survey. Rankings: methodology of the Financial Times Global MBA ranking, as documented by Clear Admit (2026 edition): 8 of the 21 criteria from alumni (56% of the score), a 20% response-rate threshold, an overall response rate of 33%, and the exclusions of Columbia and SDA Bocconi. Tooling market: Terrilink's alumni software price observatory (June 2026 reading, official sources + Capterra/G2 listings). The labels "order of magnitude" or "~" indicate an approximate value.