Bristol graduates are fifth most targeted by top employers

The ‘Graduate Market in 2024’ report surveyed 100 of the most successful organisations in the UK – from Microsoft to Morgan Stanley – to give a snapshot of the graduate jobs market.

It found that Bristol graduates were the fifth most targeted of UK universities.

It also found that graduates at these top 100 organisations could expect to earn a median starting salary of £34,000 in 2024. The highest graduate wages could be found at investment banks, where graduates started on a median salary of £55,000.

The 100 firms surveyed are from a list compiled by The Times newspaper. They include Google, the Civil Service, Amazon, Pfizer, HSBC, Tesco, Unilever, the NHS, the BBC, Mercedes Benz and the Bank of England.

Bristol routinely scores highly in the annual Graduate Market report.

Stuart Johnson, Director of Careers and Skills at the University of Bristol, said: “It’s fantastic to see our graduates once again being recognised as great hires for top companies.

“Bristol has placed in the top-10 for more than 10 years, and the top-five for all but two of those years.

“I think that’s testament to the talent and creativity of our students, and also to our fantastic staff who teach and support them during their time at Bristol.”

Each year around 350 employers come to the University of Bristol to recruit students and build their skills. Students can sign up for the Get Hired careers fair here.

This year saw the launch of Bristol Skills Profile, a “gamechanger” initiative that helps students build, track and evidence their skills to employers.

Stats show that 94% of the University’s graduates are in employment or further study 15 months after graduation.

The University’s Careers Service provides extensive support to students, including help getting jobs, access to internships (including some funded by the University) and funding and expertise to set-up their own businesses.

According to the Graduate Market in 2024 report, which is compiled by High Fliers, the universities with the most sought after graduates were: Birmingham, Manchester Nottingham, Leeds, Bristol, Warwick, UCL, Southampton, Durham, Exeter. Cambridge placed 13^th and Oxford 15^th.