Job honour for Deakin

Two-thirds of graduates find work

DEAKIN University is among the top tertiary institutions in the state for graduates to land a job soon after leaving the classroom.

Around 67 per cent of graduates from Deakin found fulltime work within four months, according to Good Education Group’s The Good Universities Guide 2017.

The survey of tertiary institutions revealed that Monash and Federation were the topperforming universities in Victoria, with 70 per cent of graduates finding jobs.

They were followed by Deakin, La Trobe and Melbourne universities, all with 67 per cent employment, Swinburne University with 64 per cent, RMIT 62 per cent and Victoria University 59 per cent.

In terms of median salary earned by graduates, Feder- ation Uni topped the state list at $56,000.

Still, not one Victorian university received five stars for employment outcomes or salary to denote being within the top 20 per cent of Australian institutions.

Good Education Group head of product Ross White said results indicated there was more to graduate employment outcomes than meets the eye.

“Location is a factor in graduate employment as much as the university itself,” he said.

“Six of the eight universities that achieved five stars for overall employment are regional universities, which suggests that competition for jobs among metro graduates may be tougher and demand for graduates in some regional areas may be stronger.”

Deakin and Fed Uni claimed Victoria’s highest ranking for overall quality of education experience, with 84 per cent and 83 per cent of students satisfied, respectively.

Group chief executive Chris Lester said students should think about whether student experience or graduate outcomes are important to them and consider their options.

“Victorian students are among the least likely to travel interstate to attend university, but the latest edition shows that it’s important for students to think broadly about the institution that delivers the outcomes most important to them,” he said.

“It may not be a university in their home city and it may not be a university in their home state.”

Across Australia, the University of Western Australia had the highest median salary at $63,000, and the University of Southern Queensland and Charles Sturt University jointly claimed the top employment rate of 84 per cent.