10 of the Best Australian Universities for Graduate Employability in 2020

The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020, released today, features 20 Australian universities which were included among the top 500 universities for promoting the employability of their graduates. The ranking was calculated based on a methodology which considers each institution’s employer reputation, graduate employment rate, alumni outcomes and more.

Read on as we count down the 10 highest ranked Australian universities for graduate employability.

=9. Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Queensland University of Technology (QUT), located in Brisbane, retains its position in the 101-110 range of the graduate employability rankings this year, with one of the highest scores in Australia for the Employer-Student connections indicator. QUT enables connections between employers and students through a range of events and services such as on-campus presentations and interviews, careers fairs, a career mentor scheme, work integrated learning and more.

=9. Macquarie University

Heading to Sydney, Macquarie University climbed from the 111-120 range to now place 101-110 for graduate employability, and has the distinction of earning the best score among Australian universities for the graduate employment rate indicator. Students at Macquarie can make use of the multi award-winning PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) program and take part in practical work experience with one of over 3,000 partner organizations across Australia and the world.

8. RMIT University

RMIT University, located in Melbourne, climbed eight spots in this year’s graduate employability rankings to now place 77^th in the world, thanks to improved scores in the graduate employment rate and partnerships with employers indicators. RMIT has strong connections with both domestic and international employers and promotes employer-student connections with the RMIT Mentoring program, which includes a Women@RMIT program tailored specifically towards women entering male-dominated industries.

7. University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is ranked joint 69^th in the graduate employability rankings this year, and achieves its best score in the employer reputation indicator (48^th in the world). Among the career initiatives run by UTS is the UTS Accomplish Award, a year-long program made up of interactive workshops, experiential events, and employability hours designed to build students’ skills, knowledge and experience.

=5. Monash University

Ranked joint 66^th for graduate employability alongside Australian National University, Monash University, located in Melbourne, achieves one of the highest scores in Australia for the employer reputation indicator, demonstrating its high prestige as one of the top universities in Australia. Monash runs a variety of career events and workshops to help students improve their employability and connect with employers, including the annual Careers Expo, the largest careers event of the year, in which students can meet with over 80 employers on-campus.

=5. Australian National University (ANU)

Sharing fifth place among the top universities in Australia and joint 66^th overall for graduate employability, Australian National University (ANU) improved its position by seven places this year. ANU is consistently the highest-ranked university in the country in the QS World University Rankings®, currently placing joint 29^th in the world, which no doubt helps it to earn its best score in the employer reputation indicator.

4. The University of Queensland (UQ)

Next in our look at the top universities in Australia for graduate employability is the University of Queensland (UQ), which is down slightly to rank 57^th but continues to be fourth in the country. UQ earns its best score for the partnerships with employers category, and the university runs one of the country’s largest career events, connecting students with employers from across Australia.

3. The University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Ranked 27^th in the world for graduate employability in 2020, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), earns its best scores in the employer reputation and alumni outcomes indicators (ranked 24^th in the world for both), reflecting both its excellent reputation and track record of successful graduates. UNSW’s alumni includes the likes of Rebel Wilson, current Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, and billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes.

2. The University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is ranked seventh in the world for graduate employability in 2020, and claims a spot in the global top 50 for all but one of the five indicators used to compile the rankings. The university supports entrepreneurship through its Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP), which was launched in 2012 as one of the first startup accelerators in Australia, and invests $20,000 in equity-free funding to 10 fast-growing startups every year.  

1. The University of Sydney

Number one among the top universities in Australia for graduate employability continues to be the University of Sydney, which this year now claims a spot in the global top five, in fourth place. The university is in the top 40 for all five indicators, with particularly impressive scores for its partnerships with employers and employer-student connections (ranked 14^th and 12^th respectively). It runs many careers fairs throughout the year, giving students the chance to connect face-to-face with leading employers from the both the public and private sectors who are looking to recruit University of Sydney graduates.

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