Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Graduate Outcomes data and statistics 2021/22

The data shows what graduates from UK institutions are doing 15 months after leaving university. It is the largest annual social survey in the UK with 870,295 graduates eligible to take part in the 2021/22 survey. 381,945 graduates provided usable responses, giving a response rate of 44 per cent. Non-EU international students make up 14 per cent of responses. The official statistics include breakdowns by HE provider, subject of study, personal characteristics, and type of employment or further study. Students are also asked questions about whether their current activity is meaningful, fits in with future plans and relates to their studies. 

The full data release can be found here.

At-a-glance: 

• 89 per cent of graduates in the 2021/22 survey were in some form of work or further study, up from 82 per cent last year. 61 per cent were in full-time employment, 11 per cent were in part-time employment and 10 per cent were in employment and further study 
• The proportion of unemployed UK domiciled graduates increased between 2020/21 and 2021/22, from 4 per cent to 5 per cent. Unemployed graduates domiciled outside the UK also rose, from 8 per cent to 9 per cent 
• First-degree graduates in full-time employment decreased from 58 per cent in 2020/21 to 57 per cent among 2021/22 graduates, while the percentage unemployed increased from 5 per cent to 6 per cent 
• 58 per cent of first-degree, first-class honours degree students were in full-time employment. Unemployment was highest for first-degree graduates who obtained a third-class honours/pass 
• A higher proportion of graduates who studied science subjects were in full-time employment than those who studied non-science subjects 
• 82 per cent of UK graduates in work who had studied science subjects were in high skilled work, compared to 73 per cent of graduates of non-science subjects 
• The proportion of graduates in low skilled work was highest for those studying design, and creative and performing arts and agriculture, food and related studies, relative to all other subjects 
• 63 per cent of UK White graduates were in full-time employment, a higher proportion than graduates from any other ethnic group. In 2021/22, Black UK graduates were more likely to be in part-time employment than any other ethnic group 
• The median salary of UK domiciled graduates from full-time first-degree courses in full-time paid employment was £27,500 compared to £26,000 the year before. Graduates who studied medicine and dentistry had the highest median salary at £34,950 
• A higher percentage of graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds were earning salaries between £30,000 and £42,000 than White graduates 
• Male full-time, first-degree graduates in full-time paid employment in the UK have a greater median salary than females, with a difference of nearly £1,500 
• 84 per cent of graduates agreed that their current activity was “meaningful”, while 77 per cent said their activity fits with their future plans. 69 per cent felt they were utilising what they learned during their studies. When compared to postgraduates, undergraduates were more likely to disagree (both disagree and strongly disagree) to the questions. Meanwhile, non-UK domiciled graduates show an increasing response of disagree or strongly disagree to the questions 
• UK graduates were more likely to be in full-time further study if they had attended an independent school and had parents in the socio-economic classification of higher managerial & professional occupations  
• More than 15,500 graduates indicated that they were self-employed/freelancing, nearly 6,000 said they were running their own business and 25,000 indicated they were “developing a creative, artistic or professional portfolio 

Implications for governance: 

Graduate outcomes have become an area of more intense focus for governing boards, particularly with the introduction of the B3 conditions of registration which judge institutions on their graduate-level employment record. 

The advent of the new thresholds has led to deep dives by governors in some subject areas and increased concentration on academic quality assurance. 

The importance of data and analysis into differing outcomes and the mitigating factors behind them, has never been more important, given the narrative of “rip-off” degrees expounded by some politicians, which has recently surfaced once again. 

The HESA data for 2021/22 shows a welcome rise in the proportion of graduates in some form of work or further study.  

Beyond the headline figure, however, there were different outcomes for different groups of students. There was a slight fall in full-time employment rates for first time graduates, for instance, while students’ job prospects vary depending on subject.  

Science students were more likely to be in full-time employment and in high skilled work than those from other disciplines. Conversely, the proportion in low skilled work was highest for those studying design, and creative and performing arts and agriculture, food and related studies. UK White graduates were more likely to be in in full-time employment than those from other ethnic groups. Black UK graduates were more likely to be in part-time employment than any other ethnic group. 

The results of the “graduate voice” questions covering whether current activities are worthwhile and fit in with respondents’ plans were heartening, although first-degree and non-UK graduates were less positive than those from other groups. 

For governing boards, the HESA data provides an opportunity to look at the links between courses, subject areas, quality assurance and outcomes in more granular detail and at institutions’ careers provision and the employability agendas more generally.  

In this year’s Advance HE Higher Education Policy Institute Student Academic Experience Survey, employability was the second most cited response to the question “what is the one thing your institution can do to improve the quality of the academic experience”.  

Students crave more practical and context-specific learning, which will help them understand the application of their studies to the world of work, according to a report on the findings. Undergraduates also want more field trips, placements and internships, opportunities for industry collaborations and better career advice embedded through courses, to smooth the path into worthwhile employment.  

By looking at their own institutional data in the HESA statistics, boards may want to consider if career information, advice and guidance and measures to improve employability are sufficient to support good outcomes; and whether targeted support for certain groups, such as international and ethnic minority students and those studying particular subjects, could enhance future prospects. 

HESA data shows that nearly 50,000 graduates are self-employed/freelancing, running their own business and/or developing a creative, artistic or professional portfolio. With the emergence of the “gig economy” and short-term contracts, there may also be an increased need in careers education and/or through curricula to cover practical advice and guidance on networking, navigating short-term contracts, working for yourself and entrepreneurship. 

HESA’s finding that privately educated and more affluent graduates are more likely to be in full time study shows that there are still barriers to take-up of postgraduate studies for the less well-off, and that recruitment and finance policies and procedures should ensure as diverse an intake as possible.