UK Graduate Employability

UK Graduate Employability

When choosing a university, it’s important to consider how employable you will be as a graduate. The modern job market is tough and competitive for everyone but graduating from a Top University can make all the difference. QS recently released its 2022 Graduate Employability Rankings in which it judged universities by their ability to produce employable graduates. So, let’s check out which British universities best prepare their students for the workplace!  

What criteria are used?

• Partnerships with employers: The number of official partnerships a university has with employers is added up with universities being ranked accordingly. It contributes to 25% of the final Graduate Employability score.
• Graduate employment rate: Judges whether the universities’ efforts to prepare their students for employment are successful. This is done by measuring the percentage of a university’s graduates that are in employment within a year after graduation. It contributes to 10% of the final Graduate Employability score.
• Employer-student connections: The number of employers present on campus. It contributes to 10% of the final Graduate Employability score.
• Alumni outcomes: This criterion examines where highly influential employers, sector leaders, and award-winning professionals studied, or in other words their academic background. It contributes to 25% of the final Graduate Employability score.
• Employer reputation: The employer’s reputation is examined and analysed. This contributes to 30% of the final Graduate Employability score.

2022 Rankings:

• University of Oxford
  UK Rank: 1
  World Rank: 7
  Score: 96.7
• University of Cambridge
  UK Rank: 2
  World Rank: 11
  Score: 94
• University College London
  UK Rank: 3
  World Rank: 20
  Score: 89.6
• Imperial College London
  UK Rank: 4
  World Rank: 30
  Score: 82.8
• University of Manchester
  UK Rank: 5
  World Rank: 42
  Score: 73.9
• London School of Economics and Political Science
  UK Rank: 6
  World Rank: 48
  Score: 72.2
• University of Edinburgh and the University of Bristol (tied)
  UK Rank: 7
  World Rank: 49
  Score: 71.6
• University of Leeds
  UK Rank: 8
  World Rank: 52
  Score: 70.6
• University of Nottingham
  UK Rank: 9
  World Rank: 66
  Score: 66
• King’s College London
  UK Rank: 10
  World Rank: 68
  Score: 65.6

How reliable are rankings?

Although rankings are compiled by independent, credible researchers, different organisations may use different criteria to assess universities. Furthermore, graduate outcomes can differ drastically depending on the course studied, i.e., one course may result in excellent employability while another is the complete opposite. Rankings also don’t account for economic downturns or random events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on hiring practices. Therefore, you should not choose a university based on rankings alone.  

Nonetheless, ranking tables remain a good place to start your research. If you’re concerned about your future career prospects and wondering which university will help you achieve your professional dreams, arrange your free initial consultation with TopCourses. We’ll do all the hard work!