Graduate Outcomes survey: information for providers

The Graduate Outcomes survey seeks to understand whether recent graduates are in employment, have continued with further study or are doing something else.

It also asks graduates to reflect on how their education has contributed to where they are today, and about their wellbeing. 

All graduates who complete a higher education course in the UK will be asked to take part in the survey 15 months after they finish their studies.

The survey aims to contact over 700,000 graduates over four survey periods throughout the year, depending on when the graduate completed their studies.

The survey is run by HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), part of Jisc, to help universities and colleges fulfil their legal requirement to report on the outcomes of higher education to the higher education funding and regulatory bodies. 

How is the data used?

HESA publishes Graduate Outcomes official statistics annually, which provides high level findings and characteristics of graduate outcomes at a national and provider level.

Universities and colleges can use these to help evaluate and promote their courses.

The responses also help the Office for Students, the government, charities, journalists, researchers and others to understand the higher education sector and the state of the graduate labour market. 

For example, we use data from the survey in some of our outcomes performance measures, and in Discover Uni, the official source of information about higher education run by the UK higher education funding and regulatory bodies.

What do providers need to do?

Higher education providers have certain actions they need to complete to ensure HESA has accurate and comprehensive data, including the collection of graduates' contact details and brand awareness activities.

HESA’s Graduate Outcomes information for providers offers full information, guidance and training for universities and colleges who are taking part in the survey.

New for 2024, HESA has put together a Brand Toolkit with guidelines and a range of collateral to support you in promoting the survey.