Stanford University tops the QS Graduate Employability Rankings

Employability is a key concern for students across the world. It impacts their application decisions – in terms of courses & colleges. It also plays up an institution’s prestige. The Ivy League schools, Oxbridge and Australia's Group of 8 prove their standards not only by focusing on the quality of their faculty, research, or student satisfaction levels, but also by graduating students who are highly sought after by prospective employers.

The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2017 analysed 300 international institutions and ranked them according to 5 key aspects of graduate employability.  These measures were classified under the following heads: Employer Reputation, Partnership with Employers, Alumni Outcomes, Employer-Student Outcomes & Graduate Employment Rate. So the ranking calibrates employer opinions, educational pathways of successful individuals, institutional engagement with industry, on-campus presence of employers, and the number of graduates in full- or part-time employment within a year of graduation.

Not surprisingly perhaps, Stanford tops the list. US universities dominate the list with more than 50 entries. However, the top 10 includes surprise entries like Tsinghua University & the University of Sydney.

1. Stanford University
   With an Overall Score of 95.90, and a perfect 100 for Employer Reputation as well as Alumni Outcomes, Stanford University tops the list. The university is particularly known for its courses in Computer Science as well as Engineering & Technology.
    
2. MIT
   The top ranked university according to the QS World University Rankings, MIT also scores a 100 in Employer Reputation, 99.9 in Employer-Student Connections & 99.8 in Alumni Outcomes. That means MIT graduates are potentially well-networked global influencers.
    
3. Tsinghua University
   Established in 1911, Tsinghua University is one of China’s best. It is #24 in the QS World University Rankings. The university is particularly well known for its Civil Engineering & Technology programs.
    
4. The University of Sydney
   Ranked among the top 50 universities in the world overall, The University of Sydney is at the 4^th spot for its reputation, partnerships & student connections with employers. It also has a commendable Graduate Employment Rate at just under 90%.
    
5. University of Cambridge
   One of the oldest universities in the world, Cambridge is also one of the best. The university scores a 100 in Employer Reputation and 99.9 in Alumni Outcomes. It is also first for History, internationally, according to rankings by subject.
    
6. Ecole Polytechnique
   One of the smallest universities in the list – with approximately 3000 students, Ecole Polytechnique scores well in Employer Reputation, Alumni Outcomes & Employer-Student Connections.
    
7. Columbia University
   The Pulitzer Prize awarding university is ranked among the top 10 internationally for its  English Language & Linguistics programs. It scores 99.6 for Alumni Outcomes.
    
8. University of Oxford
   The number 1 university in the world for English language & Literature courses, as well as for its distinguished Arts faculty, Oxford has been one of the world’s best for almost 900 years. Not surprisingly, it scores a 100 for both Employer Reputation and Alumni Outcomes.
    
9. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
   One of the top public universities across the world, the university has an excellent Graduation Employment Rate of almost 80%. It is well known for its programs in Environmental Science.
    
10. Princeton University
    The university makes the list for on-campus presence of employers, as well as its reputation with them. It is also among the top 30 universities of the world according to the World University Rankings.
     

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