Click here to discover the 10 strongest Australian universities for graduate employability in 2019.
There are 21 Australian universities featured in this year’s QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2018, a ranking aiming to celebrate the institutions producing the most employable graduates, based on a methodology which considers each university’s alumni outcomes, employer reputation, graduate employment rate and more.
Read on for an overview of this year’s 10 highest ranked Australian universities for graduate employability, plus a look at how New Zealand universities fared in the ranking.
1. The University of Sydney
The University of Sydney continues to be the highest ranked Australian university for graduate employability this year, ranked fourth in the world and achieving its highest score for Employer-Student Connections (it’s ranked eighth). It boasts top-50 scores for every indicator, with its next highest score being for the Partnerships with Employers category (14th). The university is active in hosting careers fairs, employer information sessions, workshops and other events to help students and employers network with each other.
2. The University of Melbourne
Climbing four places to rank seventh in the world for graduate employability this year, the University of Melbourne achieves the highest score among all Australian universities for its Graduate Employment Rate (ranked 10th globally). The university counts four Australian prime ministers among its alumni, plus other successful figures such as Germaine Greer and Barry Humphries. Its start-up accelerator, Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP), was named the eighth best in the world in 2015.
Trying to decide between the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne? View a comparison of the two here.
3. The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
Next in our look at the 10 best Australian universities for graduate employability is the University of New South Wales (UNSW), a new entrant at 36th. UNSW achieves its highest score for the Employer Reputation indicator, and was recently awarded the maximum of five stars for “Getting a Job” in the Good Universities Guide, which also found that 76% of undergraduates find a job within four months of graduating.
4. The University of Queensland (UQ)
Up from 51-60 to 49th in the world for graduate employability this year, the University of Queensland (UQ) receives its highest score for the Partnerships with Employers category. Boasting a higher graduate employment rate than the national average, UQ offers its students a free online employability course and has other initiatives to help maximize students’ success, such as short-term global experiences and student exchange programs, internships, career workshops and more.
5. University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) is ranked 69th in the world for graduate employability, and gets its highest score for the Graduate Employment Rate category, with the latest figures showing that 76% of Australian-resident UTS graduates are in employment three months after study, earning an average salary of AU$67,047 (~US$53,130). UTS runs a variety of careers fairs and events, and offers students work-ready programs such as the UTS Accomplish Intensive program, a course of career workshops.
6. Monash University
Heading to Melbourne for the next in our look at the best universities in Australia for graduate employability, where Monash University is ranked 79th in the world this year and is featured in the global top 50 for its Employer Reputation, reflecting its reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Monash runs a range of careers events, industry panels and seminars such as the Global Careers Panel, facilitated by Raw Talent.
7. Australian National University (ANU)
Ranked 84th in the world for graduate employability, Australian National University (ANU) achieves an impressive score of 20th in the Graduate Employment Rate indicator, with 88% of ANU’s domestic graduates employed full-time four months after completing their studies, according to the results of the Graduate Destination Report 2016. The university offers a range of diverse volunteering opportunities, including the new ANU+ initiative.
8. RMIT University
RMIT University is ranked 97th in the world for graduate employability this year and also achieves a very high score for the Graduate Employment Rate category, ranking 15th in the world. RMIT supports entrepreneurial students with its RMIT Activator, a tailored, interactive program which is committed to giving the RMIT community an opportunity to create ideas, access collaborative workspaces and launch start-ups.
9. Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Featured in the 111-120 range for graduate employability, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), located in Brisbane, is ranked in the global top 50 for the Employer-Student connections category. QUT has an international outlook and describes itself as “a university for the real world”. The university is active at promoting connections between employers and students via careers fairs, Work Integrated Learning (WIL), the Career Mentor Scheme, and the CareerHub jobs board.
10. Macquarie University
And finally, the last in our look at the 10 best Australian universities for graduate employability is the Sydney-based Macquarie University, ranked in the 121-130 band, with a top-50 score for the Graduate Employment Rate category. Looking at the 2016 Macquarie University Graduate Destination Survey, 89% of Macquarie graduates were in full-time work or study almost a year after finishing their course. Macquarie offers students the chance to get practical experience within their degree via the unique PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) program.
Top universities in New Zealand for graduate employability
Alternatively, if you’d like to study in nearby New Zealand, the country has seven entrants in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings, led by the University of Auckland at 75th in the world, which achieves its highest score in the Graduate Employment Rate category, at 12th. The other six universities in New Zealand in the ranking are all ranked in the 301-500 range, with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) featuring in the top 50 for the Graduate Employment Rate category, while Massey University is in the top 150.
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