Graduates of Imperial College beat Oxbridge on earnings

Graduates from Imperial College London pick up the highest salaries in the first year after graduation, earning around a fifth more than students leaving Oxford and Cambridge, according to research by the job website Adzuna.

The average Imperial graduate earns £37,931 in their first year post-graduation, £5,000 more than the typical Oxbridge graduate, the report found.

Imperial has long jostled with Oxford and Cambridge at the top of the university academic league, with its specialisation in medical, engineering and technological subjects likely to explain its graduates’ higher earning power.

But Oxbridge was also elbowed aside by King’s College London on its graduate earnings, despite the university ranking a relatively lowly 58th in the Guardian’s 2019 league tables.

Seven out of the top 10 universities for pay were outside the Guardian’s top 10 league table, with Edinburgh reckoned to be fifth best for pay but 28th in the Guardian table. All the top 10 universities for graduate earnings were in the Russell Group of universities.

Adzuna based its figures on an analysis of 155,000 graduate CVs posted on its site detailing the average salary these graduates make in their first year after graduation. It said it also supplies labour market data to the Office of National Statistics.

Andrew Hunter, co-founder of Adzuna, said: “Students concerned with getting the best bang for their buck should look outside the traditional league tables and should not automatically assume Oxbridge to be best.

“Our research shows other universities, like Imperial College London, can deliver serious earning potential, commanding at least £5,557 more a year on average than Oxbridge.

“For savvy students looking ahead to their career these resources can help make an informed decision, not just for their university enjoyment, but for their future success.”