Graduate Outcomes 2020/21: Summary Statistics - Graduate reflections

 
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 the wording of these questions varies slightly depending on responses to the activities they were involved in during the census week. Answers to these questions have been aggregated for reporting in this publication. For more information, please see XACTONTRACK, XACTMEAN and XACTSKILLS.

Figure 17 shows:

• The proportion of graduates agreeing (both agree and strongly agree) that their current activity fits with their future plans has decreased from 80% in 2017/18 to 77% in 2020/21.
• When compared to postgraduates, undergraduates were more likely to disagree (both disagree and strongly disagree) that their current activity was meaningful, aligned with their future plans, and utilized what they had studied.
• Those who studied full-time strongly disagreed with the questions more than those who had studied part-time.
• When breaking down graduates in full-time employment by domicile, UK graduates were more likely to strongly agree with the questions than those from non-UK countries.
• From 2018/19 to 2020/21, those from non-UK domiciles show an increasing response of disagree or strongly disagree to the questions, most notable between 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Figure 18 shows:

• Across all four years, graduates in full-time further study at the time of the survey were the most likely to respond agree or strongly agree to the questions compared to those in other activities.
• The proportion of graduates in full-time employment who agreed (both agree and strongly agree) that their current activity fits with their future plans has decreased year-on-year from 83% in 2017/18 to 80% in 2020/21.
• Postgraduates generally agreed (both agree and strongly agree) that they were utilising what they learnt during their studies in their current activity more than undergraduates.

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