Graduate Outcomes 2019/20: Summary Statistics - Activities by previous study characteristics

 
How do the activities of first degree graduates vary by their class of degree?

The 2019/20 academic year saw the implementation of Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) and the Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH). The HECoS classification replaces JACS, used in previous years, with CAH serving as a means to connect HECoS and JACS. For more information, refer to HESA's webpage on HECoS and CAH. See the notes to this release for more detail around previous analysis undertaken.

Further work is currently planned to assess the suitability of the Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) to enable time series analysis of subject data. Until that work is complete, we have reached the conclusion that we cannot confidently present subject time-series comparisons that span the change in subject coding frames.

As a result, tables and charts containing detail on graduates’ subjects have been limited to 2019/20 data only. Data containing 2017/18 and 2018/19 which utilises the JACS coding frame can be found in the Graduate Outcomes archive.

Figure 9 shows:

• The percentage of first degree graduates in full-time employment increased from 52% in the survey of 2018/19 graduates to 54% among 2019/20 graduates, while the percentage in unemployment (including those due to start work and study) dropped from 9% to 6%.
• Among 2019/20 first degree graduates the proportion in full-time employment was highest among those who achieved a first class honours degree, at 55%.
• Unemployment was highest for first degree graduates who obtained a third-class honours/pass.
• The proportion of first degree graduates in part-time employment was greatest amongst those who obtained a third-class honours/pass (15%) and lowest amongst those who obtained a first class honours (9%).

 
How do the activities of graduates vary by the subjects they studied?

Figure 10 shows:

• A higher proportion of graduates who had studied science subjects were in full-time employment or full-time study than those who had studied non-science subjects.
• Graduates who studied design, and creative and performing arts were more likely to go into part-time employment (26%) than those who studied other subjects.
• Among postgraduates in 2019/20, those who studied education and teaching were most likely to be in full-time employment at 73%. In contrast, less than half of postgraduates who studied historical, philosophical and religious studies, language and area studies, and design, and creative and performing arts were in full-time employment.
• There was a greater proportion of graduates who had studied medicine and dentistry and veterinary sciences in full-time employment (71% and 79% respectively) relative to all other subjects. Similarly, there was a greater proportion of graduates who studied biological and sport sciences, mathematical sciences and physical sciences in full-time further study compared with all other subject areas.

Figure 11 shows:

• Of those who studied science subjects and were working in the UK, 35% of undergraduates and 36% of postgraduates were employed in the human health and social work industry. A high proportion of these graduates studied medicine & dentistry and subjects allied to medicine (e.g. nursing).
• Among computing graduates in UK work, 40% were in the information and communication industry.
• For non-science subjects, the highest proportion of undergraduates and postgraduates went on to work in the education sector.
• Among non-UK domiciled graduates from non-science subject areas, the highest proportion went onto work in the professional, scientific, and technical activities sector, while for those in science subject areas the highest proportion went onto work in human health and social work activities sector.

Figure 12 shows:

• Of 2019/20 graduates who were in UK work that had studied science subjects, 82% were in high skilled occupations, while for graduates of non-science subjects, 71% were in high skilled occupations.
• Among those who graduated from postgraduate courses in 2019/20 and entered UK work, almost 9 in 10 were in high skilled occupations. Of those entering UK work from undergraduate courses, just under 7 in 10 were in high skilled occupations.
• For non-science subjects, graduates studying education and teaching, law and combined and general studies saw the highest proportions of graduates in high skilled jobs.
• Almost a quarter of working graduates who studied design, and creative and performing arts were in low skilled jobs, while 1 in 5 working graduates who studied agriculture, food and related studies were in low skilled jobs. 

More detailed information on graduates, including data by provider, can be found in the Graduate Outcomes open data repository.

• Summary
• Graduate activities and characteristics
• Activities by previous study characteristics
• Graduate salaries and work locations
• Graduate reflections on activities
• Notes