Alumni survey questions: 40 ready-to-use questions

How should we choose alumni survey questions?

Start from the decision the survey will inform. If you are planning a reunion, use the events questions. If you need graduate-outcome data or want to refresh the directory, use the profile questions. If you are building a mentoring programme, use the mentoring questions. Avoid sending one giant survey that tries to answer everything; alumni drop off, and the data is harder to act on.

Each group below has eight questions. Copy the ones you need, adjust the wording to your institution, and keep demographic or sensitive questions optional.

Related: Polls and surveys module

Profile and career update questions (1–8)

Use these to keep the directory current and to collect graduate-outcome data. Make every field optional and explain how the information will be used.

• What is your current city and country of residence?
• What is your current employment status? (Employed, self-employed, studying, looking for work, other)
• What is your current organisation and job title?
• Which industry do you work in?
• Have you pursued higher studies since graduating? If yes, where and in which course?
• Which professional or academic achievements would you like us to know about?
• What is the best way for us to contact you? (Email, WhatsApp, phone, platform messages only)
• Which of your profile details are you comfortable sharing with other verified alumni?

Engagement and communication questions (9–16)

These tell you how alumni want to hear from you and what keeps them connected.

• How connected do you feel to the institution today? (1 = not at all, 5 = very connected)
• How often would you like to hear from the alumni office? (Weekly, monthly, quarterly, only for major news)
• Which topics interest you most? (Batch news, institution news, career opportunities, events, giving, student achievements)
• Which channels do you actually read? (Email, WhatsApp, alumni portal, social media)
• What would make you visit the alumni portal more often?
• Have you read any alumni newsletter or digest in the last six months?
• Would you like to be featured in an alumni spotlight or success story?
• What is one thing the alumni office should start doing?

Events and reunions questions (17–24)

Use these before planning a reunion or annual event calendar, or as a post-event feedback survey.

• Which types of events would you attend? (Batch reunion, city meetup, career talk, sports day, online session, family day)
• Which months or times of year suit you best for a reunion?
• Would you prefer an in-person, online or hybrid format?
• Which city would you most likely attend a meetup in?
• How far in advance do you need to know about an event to attend?
• What would you be willing to pay for a reunion ticket, if anything? (Ranges)
• For a recent event you attended: how would you rate it overall? (1–5)
• What should we change for the next event?

Mentoring, careers and giving back questions (25–32)

These identify alumni willing to help students and each other — your mentor pool and volunteer list.

• Would you be willing to mentor current students or recent graduates?
• In which areas could you mentor? (Career choice, entrance exams, higher studies abroad, entrepreneurship, interview preparation, other)
• Could you share job or internship openings at your organisation?
• Would you be willing to give a guest lecture or career talk?
• How much time could you offer per month? (Less than 1 hour, 1–3 hours, more than 3 hours)
• Would you be interested in volunteering at events or for chapter activities?
• Would you like to be a batch representative or chapter lead?
• Are you looking for mentoring or career support yourself?

Feedback on the institution and giving questions (33–40)

Use these for curriculum feedback (often useful as accreditation evidence) and to understand interest in giving. Keep giving questions gentle and optional.

• How well did your education prepare you for your career or further studies? (1–5)
• Which subjects, skills or experiences were most valuable to you?
• What should the institution add or change in the curriculum?
• How would you rate the institution’s placement or career guidance support? (1–5)
• Would you recommend the institution to a friend or family member? (0–10)
• Which causes would you most like to support, if any? (Scholarships, infrastructure, sports, library, student welfare)
• Which ways of giving would you prefer? (UPI, card, bank transfer, in-kind, time)
• Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

How do we run the survey with Connect My Alumni?

The Polls & Surveys module is part of the alumni portal, so you do not need a separate form tool or a spreadsheet to match responses to alumni. The workflow is simple.

• Create a survey in the admin area and add questions; the builder supports several question types such as multiple choice and text
• Choose whether responses are anonymous or identified — use anonymous for honest feedback, identified for profile updates and mentor sign-ups
• Schedule start and end dates so the survey opens and closes automatically
• Announce it through an email campaign, WhatsApp (on paid plans), the community feed and a notification
• Watch results in real time and export responses for deeper analysis or accreditation evidence
• Use quick single-question polls for fast decisions such as choosing a reunion date

Related: Notifications · Analytics dashboard

How do we get more alumni to respond?

Keep it short and say how long it takes. Send it from a person alumni recognise — the principal, the head of the alumni association or a batch representative — not from a generic address. Send one reminder, not five. Explain what you will do with the results, and afterwards share a short summary of what you learned and what changes you will make. Alumni who see their feedback acted on respond again next time.

Timing matters: avoid exam seasons and major festivals, and attach a survey to moments when alumni are already engaged, such as just after a reunion.

Related: Alumni engagement strategies

What about privacy and consent?

Under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, collect only what you need, tell alumni the purpose, and let them skip personal questions. If you plan to use survey responses to update profiles, say so. Store responses in the alumni platform rather than in scattered spreadsheets, and limit who on staff can see identified responses. This is general guidance; verify specific requirements with the official source.

Official sources: Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (MeitY)

Related: DPDP Act and alumni data

Can survey results support NAAC documentation?

Alumni feedback on curriculum and outcomes is one of the kinds of evidence institutions often keep for accreditation. Export survey results with dates and response counts, and record what actions were taken in response. Check the current NAAC manual for what applies to your institution.

Official sources: NAAC (official site)

Related: NAAC alumni criteria · Pricing · Request a demo