Undergraduates

The data

This data represents all undergraduates who graduated in 2018 and 2019.

Where does the data come from?

The Destination of Leavers Survey from Higher Education (DLHE) was superseded by a new centralised Graduate Outcomes Survey in 2018-19. This new survey had its first release of graduate employment and destination outcomes in June 2020. The release was classified by HESA as experimental data and comparison cannot be drawn to the previous DLHE information that was held. Every Higher Education institution in the UK is required to take part in the survey and provide contact details to HESA to enable them to conduct the survey. The data is collected on a rolling basis every three months capturing graduates destinations approximately 15 months after they have graduated. The survey captures both undergraduate and postgraduate activity. The information in this section records the destination returns for the undergraduates who graduated between 1 May - 31 July 2018 and 1 May – 31 July 2019.

What can I find in this section?

The data in this section outlines what Imperial graduates move on to following graduation including overall undergraduate destinations statistics and individual destinations data by Imperial department.

The data is currently represented in two different ways following a recent change in the methodology that is used for data collection. This data is a great indicator to see what Imperial graduates do after their courses but please be aware that it is not possible to compare the data accurately due to the two different methodologies used.

For all graduates completing their courses in 2017 and before, the data was collected six months after graduating, with a limited number of questions asked. The new survey, for all graduates from 2018 onwards, is more in-depth and is taken 15 months after graduating.

We will continue to add new data to this section each year.

Text only tables

View text-only tables of the overall destinations data for 2014-2017 detailed in the graphs below.

View text-only tables of the overall destinations data for 2018-2019‌‌‌‌‌ detailed in the graphs below.

If you have any enquiries about destinations of Imperial students, please email us.

DLHE tabs

Overall destinations (2014-2017)

Graph 1a: Destination of Leavers from H.E. survey (Home and EU first degree):

Destination of Leavers from HE Survey (Home and EU first degree)‌

Bar chart showing the results of the undergraduate collection of Destination of Leavers from Higher Education, Home and EU First Degree for 2017, in comparison with 2014, 2015, and 2016 results. In 2017, 56.5% of home and EU graduates had entered employment; 29% had entered further study or training; 5% were seeking employment or training; 5% were unavailable for employment, study, or training; and 4.5% of those contacted refused to participate. For a full comparison view the overall destinations data for 2014-2017.

Graph 1b: Destination of Leavers from H.E. survey (International first degree):

Destination of Leavers from the HE survey (International first degree)‌

 

 

Bar chart showing the results of the undergraduate collection of Destination of Leavers from Higher Education, International First Degree for 2017, in comparison with 2014, 2015, and 2016 results. In 2017, 41% of international graduates had entered employment; 53.5% had entered further study or training; 1% were seeking employment or training; and 4.5% were unavailable for employment, study, or training. 

 

Industry sectors (2014-2017)

Graph 2a: Comparison of Industry Sector Entered (Home and EU first degree):

COMPARISON OF INDUSTRY SECTOR ENTERED (HOME AND EU FIRST DEGREE)‌

Bar chart showing the industry sectors entered by home and EU graduates surveyed in the DLHE undergraduate collection for 2017, in comparison with 2014, 2015, and 2016 results. In 2017 0.0% entered agriculture; 1.05% entered oil or mining; 6.2% entered manufacture; 1.35% entered utilities and transport; 10.95% entered technical consultancy or R & D; 10.3% entered IT & telecommunications; 13.2% entered banking/financial; 3.5% entered accountancy; 3.1% entered business & management consultancy; 8.65% entered other business activities; 1.35% entered public administration or defence; 3.5% entered education; 35.8% entered health or social work; and 1.05% entered others. For a full comparison view the overall destinations data for 2014-2017‌.‌

Graph 2b: Comparison of Industry Sector Entered (International First Degree):

COMPARISON OF INDUSTRY SECTOR ENTERED (INTERNATIONAL FIRST DEGREE)‌
 

Bar chart showing the industry sectors entered by international graduates surveyed in the DLHE undergraduate collection for 2017, in comparison with 2014, 2015, and 2016 results. In 2017, 0% entered Agriculture; 9% entered oil or mining; 15.5% entered manufacture; 3.3% entered utilities and transport; 14.75% entered technical consultancy or R & D; 9.85% entered IT & telecommunications; 11.5% entered banking or financial; 9.85% entered accountancy; 5.75% entered business and management consultancy; 7.4% entered other business activities; 4.1% entered public administration or defence; 6.55% entered education; 2.45% entered health or social work; and 0% entered others.

Note:
  • 'Other Business Activities' include: legal, market research, advertising, recruitment, wholesale and retail.
  • 'Others' include: trade associations and artistic professions, such as broadcasting and the media.

By department (2014-2017)

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

BIOENGINEERING

Biomedical Science

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHEMISTRY

CIVIL ENGINEERING

COMPUTING

EARTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

LIFE SCIENCES

MATERIALS

MATHEMATICS

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEDICINE 

PHYSICS

Overall destinations (2018-2019)

Graph 1: Destination of Leavers from the Graduate Outcomes Survey (Home, EU and Overseas):

Bar chart showing the results of the undergraduate collection of the new Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) for 2019 in comparison with 2018 results. In 2019, 59.45% of all graduates had entered employment; 27.65% had engaged in a course of study, training or research; 4.5% were unemployed and looking for work; 3% were doing something else; 1.4% were self-employment/freelancing; 1% were taking time out to travel (this does not include short-term holidays); 0.95% were in voluntary/unpaid work for an employer; 0.9% were developing a creative, artistic or professional portfolio; 0.8% were running their own business; 0.2% were caring for someone (unpaid); and 0.15% were retired.

Overall destinations (2018-2019)

Industry sectors (2018-2019)

Graph 2: Comparison of Industry Sector Entered (Home, EU and Overseas):

‌Bar chart showing the industry sectors entered by all graduates surveyed in the new Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) for 2019 in comparison with 2018 results. In 2019 0% entered agriculture, forestry and fisheries; 1.4% entered mining and quarrying; 8% entered manufacture; 0.55% entered electric, gas and water; 0.75% entered construction; 3% entered wholesale and retail trade; 0.95% entered transport and storage; 0.2% entered accommodation and food services; 17.1% entered information and communications; 12.85% entered financial and insurance; 0.2% entered real estate; 19.15% entered professional, scientific and technical activities; 0.75% entered admin and support services; 1.9% entered public admin and defence; 3.95% entered education; 21.15% entered human health and social works; 0.2% entered arts, entertainment and recreation; 0.55% entered other services; and 7.35% were not coded.

Industry sectors graph

By department (2018-2019)

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

BIOENGINEERING

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

CHEMISTRY

CIVIL ENGINEERING

COMPUTING

EARTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

LIFE SCIENCES

MATERIALS

MATHEMATICS

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

MEDICINE 

PHYSICS