All higher education institutions in Ireland survey their graduates within 9 months of completing full-time courses. This national survey is conducted under the aegis of the HEA (Higher Education Authority) and the results are compiled in the HEA report on 'First Destinations of Award Recipients in Higher Education' which is published each year.
Top line Results
- 75% of the Class of 2020 went
directly into employment.
- 7% of graduates are working
globally. This is down from 12% and is likely attributable to travel
restrictions and cautious behaviours around Covid-19.
- 17% of the class are engaged in
further study or training.
- 7% of graduates are seeking
employment, with ca. 1% unavailable for employment (for reasons of e.g.
health, family, gap year).
- The results suggest that higher
educational attainment is positively linked to higher employment rates,
with 96% of UL PhD/Research graduates and 80% of Taught Masters graduates
in employment.
- The sectoral spread of the
Class of 2020 employment is of interest viz., Human Health and Social Work
(19%), followed by Professional, Scientific and Technical sector at 15%,
Financial, Insurance and Real Estate (14%) and Industry (13%). At 11%,
Education remains a significant sector for graduate employment.
- The average graduate salary was
€34, 987, with 59% of graduates earning in excess of €30,000.
- The results indicate that
higher educational attainment is positively linked to higher salaries,
with PhD/Research Masters graduates earning an average salary of €51,250
and the average salary of Taught Masters Graduates calculated at €37,934.
- In line with recent trends, the
Western Corridor (West, Mid-West and South West) continues to be the
preferred destination for UL graduates, accounting for almost two-thirds
(63%) of graduate employment. This compares with 26% in the East.
Globally, the most popular destinations were North America (29%), EU (25%)
and the UK (23%).
For the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the relevant data are here.
