Bristol remains 5th most targeted university by graduate employees

By Cara Hene, Digital News Editor

The report looked at how UK universities faired attracting leading graduate employees, considering factors such as careers fairs, on-campus employer presentations, virtual events and careers service events.

Bristol retained its 5^th place from the previous year’s report by High Fliers Research, which has assessed the graduate job market annually since 2013.

Among the top five were also Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham and Warwick with other top British universities such as Imperial, The University of Edinburgh and Oxford University ranking 9^th, 13^th and 19^threspectively.

The report surveys the UK’s top 100 graduate employees across multiple sectors such as media, banking, law, finance and the public sector.

The highest paid recent graduates saw a median starting salary in investment banking of £60,000, while trainee solicitors at leading law firms earned £56,000. The country’s top strategy consultant firms paid their graduates £50,000.

Stuart Johnson, Director of Careers and Skills at the University of Bristol, said:

‘It’s encouraging to see Bristol graduates continuing to stand out as top talent for leading employers, even in a challenging recruitment climate.

‘Bristol has remained in the top-10 most-targeted universities for over a decade, and this year is no exception, securing a top 5 position. That consistency speaks volumes about the calibre of our students and the dedication of our staff who support them throughout their journey.’

Bristol University scores 78th in The Times Higher Education Rankings 2025

Bristol awarded an impressive global ranking, but teaching scores lag behind By Harry Mayes, MA Neuroscience The University of Bristol has risen from the position of 91-100 held in 2023 to 78th place in The Times Higher Education (THE) World Reputation Rankings of 2025. The survey ranked a total of

EpigramHarry Mayes

Bristol named 12th most sustainable university in the world

The University of Bristol was recently named as the 12th most sustainable university in the world according to the QS World Sustainability Rankings 2025.

EpigramSofia Webster

The report found this year’s average graduate salary rose £1000 from the previous year to £35,000.

As will be no shock for soon-to-be graduating students, a key finding was the stark rise in applications for graduate vacancies, which have risen by 28% year-on-year.

The University of Bristol will hold its Get Hired career fair on the 1^st and 2^nd of October at Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street (not Beacon House). You’ll need your UCard to access the event, which will host employees such as EY, The National Crime Agency, Deloitte and TPP.

Featured Image: 'Wills Memorial Building' | Epigram / Cara Hene