Is your child interested in studying at university post-school? Not sure which course of study will offer them the best future?

There’s good news for Australian university graduates of all kinds. The Graduate Outcomes Survey conducted by the federal government tells us that full time employment for university graduates four months after graduation has risen from 73.6 to 91.5 percent. And it doesn’t matter what you study!

In excellent news for our students who are passionate about the Humanities and Social Sciences, students graduating from studies in History, Geography, Politics, Language, and Literature are employed at 89.6%.

Students who graduate from Science and Mathematics degrees are employed at 88.2%. Some specialist degrees have even better rates of full-time employment with Computing and IT at 92% and nursing, teaching, and law in the mid-90s.

Creative and fine arts degrees have employment of nearly 80%, busting the myth of the unemployed artist! It’s also worth considering that many creative artists work in a multitude of ways that are not comparable to traditional employment measures.

The most employable graduates are occupational therapists, with 100% rates of employment. Like Medicine, OT has limited places, making it a course with a high ATAR for admission, but it is also in high demand, along with physiotherapy and veterinary science.

Currently employment rates across Australia are at record highs, so these percentages may not remain the same, but the trends across subject areas have been consistent for many years. Lifelong learning is key, with postgraduate studies and ongoing professional development playing an important role in most professions. Some students completing generalist degrees such as Humanities and Science go on to do post graduate studies in areas such as education and health; while many specialist degrees, such as psychology and law, require postgraduate study to practice professionally.

No matter what study areas our students choose, the key ways to gain the employment they want are to become involved in professional organisations and subject area groups, seek work experience and networking opportunities, and of course, work hard to maintain good results. In further good news, the average salary for recent university graduates is $80,000, with those who complete postgraduate studies going on to earn over $100,000.

As always, we recommend that students choose what they enjoy. If students are passionate about what they study, the opportunity of success is at their fingertips.

If you have any questions about your child’s pathway to further education, please contact Future Pathways at futurepathways@genesis.qld.edu.au

All data is sourced from the Australian Government 2022 Graduate Outcomes Survey.

Elizabeth Hobman

Director of Future Pathways