Top 10 jobs viewed on Prospects.ac.uk

What career paths are students and graduates most interested in exploring and understanding? And how are their preferences changing over time? The popularity of Prospects job profiles can give us an insight…

Prospects.ac.uk is the leading website for student and graduate careers advice and hosts more than 500 job profiles. Analysing data on which of these profiles attract the highest number of users provides some indication of which roles are drawing the attention of this key audience of current and future jobseekers.

Are students and graduates most interested in high paid jobs or those that give them lots of responsibility? Roles in fields with high demand and a shortage of talent, or sectors that give them the opportunity to make a difference in society? Here are the top ten most popular job profiles on Prospects by page views between January and March 2025.

1. Clinical psychologist

Clinical psychologist has reached the top position this year, moving up from 3rd place in 2023. The UK has struggled with a shortage of clinical psychologists for some time, and the NHS plans to increase training places by 26% for both clinical psychology and child and adolescent psychotherapy by 2031.1

Research by the Nuffield Trust found that, 'the vast majority of psychology undergraduates wanted a career in mental health at the start of their degree. However, the proportion of students not considering a career in psychology or mental health in their final year more than doubled from 9% to 21%.2

It is likely that they recognised the lack of opportunities to progress a career in clinical psychology, despite there being a shortage of psychologists.'3 The trust argued that careers in mental health needed to be made more accessible and attractive.

2. Data analyst

This role is another that has continued to draw in the views, rising by two places in the ranking of the most popular job profiles on Prospects. According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, data specialist is soon to be one of the fastest-growing jobs in the world.4

Skills in data collection and analysis are highly sought after but in limited supply. It is estimated that over 178,000 roles annually in the UK require strong data skills, yet the supply of data scientists from UK universities is unlikely to exceed 10,000 per year.5 As businesses generate more data than ever, the demand for graduates skilled in data analysis is expected to remain robust.

3. Detective

Detective was the most popular job profile when we carried out this exercise in 2020, and it remains a strong favourite of Prospects users in third place. Despite its popularity, detective is currently a shortage occupation in the UK, with police forces across the country struggling to fill vacancies. The demanding nature of the job, including long hours, high workloads and inadequate mentoring, has made it challenging to attract and retain detectives.6 Schemes like Police Now's National Detective Programme are in place to attract new recruits into this career path, so it's welcome that users of Prospects are considering it.7

4. Educational psychologist

Educational psychology continues to be a popular choice among Prospects users, ranking fourth in page views out of more than 500 profiles. This profession is listed as a shortage occupation, which affects local authorities' ability to meet the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).8

The increasing number of pupils requiring SEN support has led to a higher demand for educational psychologists in the UK. According to the Prospects Early Careers survey, making a positive difference in people's lives is a key factor for many when job searching, making this role particularly attractive to those passionate about improving children's wellbeing.9

5. Forensic psychologist

This year, forensic psychology has gained significant interest, securing a spot in the top 10 most viewed job profiles on Prospects.ac.uk. The National Careers Service projects a 3.8% increase in forensic psychologist jobs by 2029, indicating a steady demand for these professionals.10 The largest employer of forensic psychologists in the UK is His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), although many also work for the NHS and social services.11

Many of these professions, particularly social work, face significant recruitment and retention challenges, so knowing that Prospects users are taking an interest in these areas is positive.

This is clearly not a scientific process - for example, users might view a job profile to rule out that particular career choice, rather than because they want to pursue it. However, it does provide an indication of the roles that are on the minds of students and graduates, those that attract their attention, and the job sectors that they feel are worthy of further exploration.

Notes

1. NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS, 2023.
2. The right track: Participation and progression in psychology career paths, Nuffield Trust, 2021.
3. The mental health workforce: challenges facing the NHS, Nuffield Trust, 2021.
4. The Future of Jobs Report 2025, World Economic Forum, 2025.
5. Data science skills in the UK workforce, UK Parliament, 2023.
6. Overburdened and undervalued: Inside the world of modern detectives, Police Foundation, 2025.
7. Pilot detective training for graduates determined to tackle fraud and economic crime, Police Now, 2024.
8. Psychologist shortage is hampering special needs support and intervention, The Guardian, 2024.
9. Early Careers Survey 2024, Prospects Luminate, 2024.
10. Forensic Psychologist, Career Pilot.
11. Forensic psychologist, NHS.

Written by

Laura Greaves

Information analyst

Prospects