Fewer than one-third of college students in the United States have a good job waiting for them upon graduation — a statistic that should make university presidents cringe.

Among bachelor degree graduates from 2002 to 2016, only 27 percent had landed a professional position before graduating, according to the Gallup-Purdue Index, a representative study of 70,000 college graduates. Among remaining graduates, it took a year or more for 16 percent to find a good job.

“When I share this data with trustees of colleges, they are extremely concerned,” said Brandon Busteed, executive director of Education and Workforce Development with Gallup.

Broadening students’ exposure to businesses and career choices through internship experiences could double the number who have good jobs waiting for them, Busteed told attendees of the Future Ready Iowa Summit held Tuesday at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center.

At the end of the summit, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the Future Ready Iowa Act, which establishes a registered apprenticeship development program, a volunteer mentoring program, a summer youth intern program, summer postsecondary courses for high school students aligned with high-demand career pathways, and an employer innovation fund, as well as skilled workforce scholarship and grant programs.