Which Australian Universities Do Employers Value the Most?

James Cook University has received the highest satisfaction rating from employers, in a new survey of Australian universities.

The study, which was conducted as part of the Department of Education and Training’s 2017 Employer Satisfaction Survey, found employers valued graduates from smaller institutions higher than those from the “Group of Eight”, Australia’s biggest and oldest universities.

More than 4,300 workplace supervisors of recent graduates were surveyed for the study, with 90.6 percent saying they were satisfied overall with graduates from James Cook University. This was followed in second place by the University of Notre Dame Australia, which scored 89.1 percent, and the University of the Sunshine Coast (88.8 percent).

At the other end of the scale, only 82.4 percent of employers gave a favorable rating to graduates from the University of Sydney, while the lowest-ranked institution was the University of Southern Queensland. Only 77.4 percent of employers were satisfied with graduates from this institution.

The results provide an interesting contrast with the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2018, published late last year. These rankings, which measure the employability of graduates rather than how satisfied employers are with the graduates they hire, placed the University of Sydney as the fourth-best institution in the world.

When looking at the employer reputation metric alone (the ranking is compiled using five different metrics, more information can be found here), there are four Australian universities in the global top 50: the University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and Monash University.

So, despite a dip in satisfaction among employers compared to smaller institutions such as James Cook University, the likes of Melbourne and Sydney can still pride themselves on coming out on top when it comes to overall reputation.

Thinking of applying to study in Australia and wondering what this means for you? Well, truth be told not a lot. One thing to take away from it though is that even smaller universities which maybe receive less international recognition are capable of giving you a top education and preparing you well for the world of work.

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