This year's What do graduates do? report provides an in-depth look at the outcomes for students who graduated into a relatively stable labour market, but one in which finding the right job was still challenging
It features detailed subject-by-subject data, expert analysis from career and employment professionals, and insights into trends like work readiness, mental health, and GenAI in creative industries - with the aim of providing graduates and those who support them with the information they need to succeed.
What do graduates do 2024/25? offers a comprehensive look at the employment outcomes of UK-domiciled graduates who completed their studies in 2021/22. Surveyed 15 months post-graduation, these graduates faced a modest downturn in the labour market, yet their overall employment rates remain relatively strong. Of the 184,650 UK-domiciled first-degree graduates who responded to the survey:
- The majority of graduates (59%) were in full-time work 15 months after graduating, while 10.8% were in part-time employment.
- Of those graduates in work, 75% were in professional-level employment.
- 8.8% of graduates in work were self-employed or actively working towards this goal.
- 6.7% of graduates were engaged in further study, while 10.5% were both working and studying.
- Just 5.6% were unemployed, slightly higher than the previous year, but these figures still indicate a relatively healthy labour market.
What's inside What do graduates do? 2024/25
The full report includes a labour market overview by Jisc's head of labour market intelligence Charlie Ball', and detailed data and analysis the following subject areas:
- Business and administrative studies
- Creative arts
- Humanities
- Science
- Social sciences
- Technology, engineering and maths.
In addition, the following expert insights add context and analysis, and discuss some of the ongoing challenges for the sector highlighted by the data:
- Enhancing careers services’ support for neurodivergent students
- The impact of GenAI on the creative and artistic industries
- Rethinking support for graduates who aren't in their preferred role
- Student mental health: the role of careers practitioners
- Reframing the 'work-ready' graduate myth
- Supporting early career graduates through job applications
- Navigating the future: key trends in graduate recruitment.
About What do graduates do? 2024/25
What do graduates do? 2024/25 was published in November 2024 on Prospects Luminate. It examines first-degree graduate destinations 15 months after graduation. It was produced by Prospects in collaboration with AGCAS, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services.
The data is from the most recent edition of the Higher Education Statistics Agency's (HESA) Graduate Outcomes survey, which collected responses from those who graduated in 2021/22.
Prospects and HESA are part of Jisc.
Previous editions of What do graduates do?
- What do graduates do? 2023/24 (PDF, 10.7MB)
- What do graduates do? 2023 (PDF, 3.8MB)
- What do graduates do? 2021/22 (PDF, 15.04MB)
- What do graduates do? 2020/21 (PDF, 8.38MB)
- What do graduates do? 2018/19 (PDF, 4.6MB)
- What do graduates do? 2017/18 (PDF, 2.9MB)
- What do graduates do? 2016 (PDF, 2.1MB)
- What do graduates do? 2015 (PDF, 1.5MB)
- What do graduates do? 2014 (PDF, 11.9MB)
- What do graduates do? 2013 (PDF, 4.9MB)
What do graduates do? Scotland
Published in April 2024, What do graduates do? Scotland is Charlie Ball's comprehensive report on the Scottish labour market and outcomes for graduates from its universities, including a detailed analysis of the country's cities and regions.
What do graduates do? Wales
In October 2024, Prospects Luminate published What do graduates do? Wales, a detailed examination by Charlie Ball of the Welsh labour market on a region-by-region basis.
Testimonials for What do graduates do?
As a careers adviser and information specialist with 30 years' experience, I cannot rate What do graduates do? highly enough. It forms an essential part of my toolkit.
- Hilary Nickell, project manager at Career Companion.
With over 300,000 students graduating from a vast array of courses and institutions every year, the UK graduate market is complex. WDGD is a key resource to help employers build their student recruitment strategies.
- Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the Institute of Student Employers (ISE).
What do graduates do? provides a concise and informative overview of UK graduate destinations by subject area and is an invaluable resource for supporting both learners thinking about progressing on to higher education as well as undergraduate students planning their next steps.
- Andrew Jones, deputy director and IAG specialist at Linking London.
What do graduates do? is an essential resource for higher education providers and employers. Heavily influencing aspects of our work, the publication not only informs best practice through the student pathway but also on attracting and supporting students from diverse background.
- Terry Manyeh, Educating ALL project lead.
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