Final answer:
The average salary of 8,500 university graduates is a statistic because it is calculated from a sample of the larger population of 250,000 graduates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average salary of 8,500 graduates from a university is described as a statistic rather than a parameter. A statistic is a characteristic that is calculated from a sample of the population, while a parameter is a characteristic that is calculated from the entire population. Since the 8,500 graduates represent a sample of the larger population of 250,000 graduates, the average salary figure is a statistic.