These are the best Australian universities for graduate employability

02 Oct 2019

The University of Sydney has maintained its status as Australia’s leading university for graduate employability.

Graduates of the institution were named the most employable in Australia and fourth globally in the latest QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020. This makes them the only institution outside the US in the top five.

MIT, Stanford University, UCLA and Harvard University are ranked first, second, third and fifth respectively.

Based on QS’ website, the University of Sydney has been consistently ranked among the top five for graduate employability since 2017. It moved up one spot from last year’s rankings.

On its website, the public university’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence said: “Our transformed undergraduate curriculum has been designed so that our students graduate ready for the workplace.

“We are committed to ensure that every University of Sydney student has the opportunity to take on real-world industry, community, research and entrepreneurship projects as part of their degrees.”

The QS rankings are based on five elements: employer reputation, alumni outcomes, partnerships with employers per faculty, employer/student connections and the graduate employment rate.

Other Australian universities among the top 100

2020 rank	2019 rank	University
4	5	The University of Sydney
7	6	The University of Melbourne
27	28	The University of New South Wales
57	48	The University of Queensland
66	73	The Australian National University
66	59	Monash University
69	64	University of Technology Sydney
77	85	RMIT University

Source: QS

Also in the top 10 is the University of Melbourne, which fell one spot from last year to seventh place.

Both Monash University and the Australian National University are ranked 66th, with Monash slipping down six spots from last year while ANU climbed up by seven spots.

Why graduate employability matters

Graduate employability can serve as an important factor for students when choosing a university to help prepare them for their future careers.

Based on responses of prospective international students on what graduate outcomes were most important to them, the QS International Student Survey report found the following:

A high graduate employment rate (58 percent)
A high rate of students going into their preferred industry (56 percent)
How quickly students find employment after graduating (56 percent)

“Given the fierce competition for graduate roles around the world, students should be seriously considering how their university can prepare them adequately for full-time employment, by connecting them with global employers and ensuring they develop the necessary skills and knowledge,” said QS on its website.

“For example, one in two recent British graduates is not in graduate work – suggesting a university degree from one of the world’s most reputable universities is no longer enough by itself to guarantee career success.”