Student at Brighter Beginnings Health Clinic

Alumni Impact

Samuel Merritt University alumni are transforming the experience of care in local communities and around the globe.

Success in Healthcare

Our graduates leave SMU prepared to excel in their fields and specialty areas of choice. They are successful healthcare practitioners and educators who work in a variety of positions and settings that impact their communities. Read about SMU alumni success below, or connect with alumni and friends here

View Outcomes For

88%

Great Expectations

Alumni report their program met or exceeded expectations.

94% Graduation Rate for Past Three Years

We’re committed to our students' success, just as our student are dedicated to carrying for others.

98%

Grads Who Find Work in Their Profession Within a Year

Our alumni are in high demand in our local communities and beyond.

Our Alumni Make a Difference

SMU graduates' licensure and certification pass rates exceed state and national averages. And our reputation for academic and clinical excellence means our alumni are heavily recruited and have one of the highest rates of employment within one year of graduation. You’ll find SMU graduates providing patient care, conducting research, and teaching in Northern California, across the state, and around the world. Here’s a look at some of the places our graduates work.

UCSF
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital
Stanford Health Care
Sutter Health
UC Davis Medical
Dignity Health
John Muir Health
Samuel Merritt University
Kaiser Permanente
Palo Alto Medical Foundation

SMU Proud

At SMU, student success is about more than grades. It’s about what our alumni do with their education. Most address our nation’s pressing need for health care practitioners who will improve the health and well-being of our communities. Our high-achieving alumni exemplify what can happen when students apply their knowledge to meet significant health care challenges.

MSN-Nurse Anesthesia, SMU Magazine

Someone Like Me

Alumni

By Samantha Bronson, Samuel Merritt University Magazine Fiona Langley, MSN-CRNA ’15, knows her patients feel stressed and vulnerable as they’re being prepped for surgery. She’s seen patients shut down...

  • Our Community
No 1 Rank Zippia

No. 1 University for Preparing Graduates to Land Jobs

Alumni

Samuel Merritt University has been named the best college in California for getting a job by career research website Zippia. SMU was recognized for its 94.5% employment rate 10 years after graduation...

  • Career placement
  • Rankings
Wildfire with white truck

Nursing Alum Finds Calling in Disaster Relief

Alumni

Nataly Kuznetsov (BSN ’09) has worked as a disaster relief nurse ever since graduating from Samuel Merritt University, but even that didn’t prepare her for the wildfires that swept across Northern...

  • Our Community
Nursing

Alumni Spotlight | Marjorie Gill Patzer

Alumni

What are you doing now? I have worked as a nurse for 55 years in various positions including pediatrics, medical-surgical, and ICU/CCU. I started several new programs including a cardiac rehab program...

  • After Graduation
stethoscope

Alumni Spotlight | Susan Bennett

Alumni

What are you doing now? I am currently working as a CRNA (Certified Nurse Anesthetist) at Kaiser South Sacramento. What is your fondest memory from your time at SMU? My fondest memory is the group of...

  • Our Community