Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2017/18 - Graduate reflections

Experimental statistics

Note: HESA has identified that a very small proportion of graduate responses to the 'graduate voice' questions were previously inadvertently excluded from the relevant tables and charts for some specific combinations of graduate activities. We have now developed an improved methodology to ensure maximum coverage of this data. The data in figures 15 and 16 were updated on 6 July 2020 using this enhanced approach.

How did graduates feel about their current activities?

Graduates were asked three questions to summarise their feelings about their activities at the time of the survey (these questions are commonly referred to as graduate voice questions). Note that answers to the graduate reflection questions vary depending on the activities they were doing.  

Figure 15 shows:

• Postgraduates in employment and further study generally agreed more than undergraduates that their current activity was meaningful, fit with their future plans and utilised what they studied. For both levels, graduates studying part-time agreed with the questions more than those studying full-time.
• Of graduates in unemployment, a higher proportion of postgraduates disagreed with the reflection questions than undergraduates.
• When breaking down unemployed graduates by domicile, UK graduates were more likely to disagree with the questions than those from non-UK countries. 

Figure 16 shows:

• Graduates in full-time further study were the most likely to respond agree or strongly agree to the questions than those in other activities. 
• A higher proportion of graduates in voluntary or unpaid work responded agree or strongly agree than those in part-time employment. In general, those in part-time employment answered less positively than the other employment groups.

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