Institutional Career Support Participation and Placement Outcomes among Final Year Undergraduates in South India

Abstract Institutional career-support activities are widely used to support students’ transition from higher education to employment, but evidence linking participation in such activities to observed placement outcomes is limited. This study examined the associations of participation in institutional engagement activities (career counselling, workshops, internships, networking and professional development programmes, analysed as one set), academic performance and attendance with placement status among final-year undergraduates of their final lap at a higher education institution in South India. A census-based cross-sectional survey yielded 500 responses (response rate 89.3%). Associations were examined using chi-square and Welch tests and nested binary logistic regression, supported by diagnostic and sensitivity analyses. Overall, 88.6% of students had participated, and 90.0% had secured a job. Placement was reported by 96.2% of participants and 42.1% of non-participants. In the adjusted model, participation (OR = 17.15, 95% CI 7.05–41.73) and CGPA band (OR = 3.68 per band, 95% CI 1.56–8.70) remained associated with placement. Attendance was strongly associated with placement in the bivariate analysis, but its adjusted association was not statistically significant (OR = 2.28 per 10 percentage points, 95% CI 0.88–5.91) and was inconsistent across sensitivity analyses, reflecting its strong correlation with CGPA ( r = 0.87). Because participation was voluntary and the design was cross-sectional, the findings indicate associations rather than effects. They suggest that institutions examine barriers to participation and evaluate coordinated academic and career support using longitudinal designs.