HESA's latest Graduate Outcomes release tracks the destinations of 2022/23 graduates, offering insights into jobs, earnings and high-skilled roles. Unemployment has risen slightly, but the majority of graduates were in work or further study
Despite a modest rise in unemployment, the data paints a picture of a resilient and adaptable graduate labour market. A strong 88% of UK-domiciled graduates were in either employment or further study 15 months after graduation. This figure remains high and is consistent with previous years, reflecting the continued value of a degree.
The Graduate Outcomes 2022/23 was published on 17 July 2025 by HESA, which is part of Jisc.
| Activity 15 months after graduation | 2022/23 |
|---|---|
| Full-time employment | 59% |
| Part-time employment | 11% |
| Unknown pattern of employment | 1% |
| Voluntary or unpaid work | 1% |
| Employment and further study | 10% |
| Full-time further study | 5% |
| Part-time further study | 0% |
| Unknown pattern of further study | 0% |
| Other including travel, caring for someone or retired | 6% |
| Unemployed | 6% |
While unemployment has risen by one percentage point to 6%, this should be viewed in context. As Jisc's head of labour market intelligence, Charlie Ball, has noted, the graduate labour market is not in crisis, but rather experiencing a slowdown. Employers are more cautious but they are still hiring, and most graduates are finding meaningful opportunities - even if the path to employment is taking a little longer and requiring more flexibility than before.
Graduates continue to find meaning in their work
A significant 84% of graduates agreed that their current activity felt meaningful. This sense of meaning was reported across a wide range of activities, not just among those in full-time roles.
The vast majority of those in full-time further study agreed or strongly agreed that their activity was meaningful (96%).
As many as 90% of those in employment and further study, and 87% of those in full-time employment, agreed or strongly agreed that their activity was meaningful.
Many graduates in part-time work, voluntary and unpaid roles reported that what they were doing was meaningful and aligned with their goals. This reinforces the idea that meaningful work isn't limited to professional-level and high-paying jobs.
| Graduate reflection questions | Strongly agree | Agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Disagree | Strongly disagree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My current activity is meaningful | 41% | 43% | 7% | 5% | 3% |
| My current activity fits with my future plans | 37% | 39% | 9% | 9% | 6% |
| I am utilising what I learnt during my studies in my current activity | 29% | 39% | 11% | 13% | 8% |
Graduate salaries vary widely by subject and sex
This year's data release highlights the continued variation in graduate salaries depending on the subject studied and the graduate's sex. For science subjects, the median salary for all skill levels was £29,498, compared to £27,998 for those from non-science subjects.1
When considering all skill levels, graduates from medicine and dentistry reported the highest median salary of £37,924. This was followed by veterinary sciences (£33,750) and engineering and technology (£31,975). Social sciences and education and teaching had the highest median salary amongst non-science subjects with median values of £30,000. Graduates from media, journalism and communications had the lowest salary for all skill levels at £24,925.
| Subject | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Medicine and dentistry | £37,924 |
| Veterinary sciences | £33,750 |
| Engineering and technology | £31,975 |
| Mathematical sciences | £31,450 |
| Computing | £30,998 |
| Subject | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Biological and sport sciences | £25,988 |
| Law | £25,305 |
| Design, and creative and performing arts | £24,993 |
| Psychology | £24,988 |
| Media, journalism and communications | £24,925 |
The data also continues to show a gender pay gap, with male graduates typically earning more than their female peers across all skill levels. While the reasons for this are complex and multifaceted, it remains a persistent feature of the graduate labour market.
| Sex - skill level | Median salary |
|---|---|
| Male all skill levels | £30,000 |
| Female all skill levels | £28,000 |
| Male high skilled | £30,894 |
| Female high skilled | £29,000 |
| Male medium skilled | £24,988 |
| Female medium skilled | £23,999 |
| Male low skilled | £24,164 |
| Female low skilled | £23,498 |
Careers begin close to home
Research has repeatedly found that the majority of graduates remain 'Loyals', opting to attend university and secure employment in the same region they grew up in. This year it's no different, as the data shows a strong pattern of regional retention, with many graduates working in the same part of the UK where they were originally domiciled.
The regions with the highest percentage of loyal graduates were Scotland (89%), Northern Ireland (84%), and London (81%). In contrast, the East Midlands, South East, and East of England had the lowest percentages of graduates working in their home regions, 61%, 59%, and 56% respectively.
High-skilled employment remains strong
Just over three quarters of employed UK-domiciled graduates were working in high-skilled occupations 15 months after graduation (76%). These roles are defined using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and include:
- Professional occupations
- Associate professional and technical occupations
- Managers, directors and senior officials.
This figure represents a slight decline from the previous year (77%), but still indicates that the majority of employed graduates are entering roles that typically require a degree. There was also a significant difference between qualification levels, with 91% of postgraduates in high-skilled roles compared to 70% of undergraduates.
While science graduates had the highest proportion in high-skilled roles (82%), a substantial 72% of non-science graduates also entered jobs at this level. Among all subject areas, medicine and dentistry graduates had the highest proportion in high-skilled roles at 97%, followed closely by veterinary medicine at 94%, and subjects allied to medicine at 91%.
At the other end of the spectrum, agriculture, food and related studies had the lowest proportion of graduates in high-skilled employment, at just 49%. For non-science subjects, the highest proportions of graduates in high-skilled roles were seen in:
- education and teaching: 89%
- law: 78%
- geography, earth and environmental studies: 77%.
These figures highlight that high-skilled employment is not exclusive to science or vocational degrees. Graduates from humanities, social sciences and the creative arts demonstrate strong outcomes, with many securing roles that require advanced skills.
A detailed subject-by-subject breakdown and analysis of the new Graduate Outcomes data will appear in the next edition of What do graduates do?, to be published in the autumn.
Notes
- The science grouping is an aggregation of CAH level 1 codes CAH01 through to CAH13 and CAH26 with the exception of CAH26-01-03 (Human geography). This grouping of science subjects has been created by HESA.
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