Graduate Employment UK: What Really Happens After University

When you finish your degree in the UK, graduate employment UK, the rate at which university graduates secure paid work within six months of finishing their course. Also known as graduate job outcomes, it’s not just a statistic—it’s the reason you’re investing time, money, and energy into higher education. The government tracks this data, but what you won’t see in reports are the quiet struggles: the economics grad working part-time at a coffee shop, the art student taking three internships just to get a foot in the door, or the engineering student who landed a job before graduation because of a placement year.

Not all degrees lead to the same outcomes. A work placement degree, a university course that includes a year-long paid job in your field. Also known as sandwich course, it more than doubles your chances of getting a graduate-level job. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows students who did a placement year were 20% more likely to be employed full-time six months after graduating than those who didn’t. It’s not magic—it’s experience. Employers don’t just want someone who passed exams; they want someone who’s already done the job. That’s why courses with built-in internships, like engineering, business, and computing, consistently rank highest in graduate employment rates.

But it’s not just about the course. UK university career support, the services universities offer to help students find jobs, including CV workshops, job fairs, and employer connections. Also known as university careers service, it varies wildly. Some schools have recruiters from top firms coming on campus every week. Others barely have a website. How do you tell the difference? Look at where past students actually work—not what the brochure says. Check LinkedIn. Search for alumni from your course. See if they’re in roles you want. If you can’t find five people in your field working at companies you admire, that’s a red flag.

And then there’s the money. graduate salaries UK, the average starting pay for new university graduates across different fields. Also known as starting salary for graduates, it isn’t the same everywhere. A computer science grad in London might earn £40,000. A history grad in Cardiff might start at £24,000. That doesn’t mean one is smarter than the other—it means the job market values skills differently. If you’re studying something less directly tied to industry, like literature or philosophy, you’ll need to build your own edge: internships, freelance work, a strong portfolio, or a side project that proves you can deliver results.

You’re not just choosing a university. You’re choosing a path into a job market that doesn’t care about your GPA unless it’s paired with real experience. The posts below give you the tools to cut through the noise: how to verify if a course actually leads to jobs, what to ask during open days, how to use your university’s career service without wasting time, and which degrees still deliver strong returns—even in a tough economy. No fluff. No promises. Just what’s working for students right now.