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PhD Percentage by Country / Number of Doctorate Degrees per Country 2024

1. slovenia.

Slovenia is the highest-ranking country in the number of PhD degrees earned by adults between the ages of 25 and 64. An impressive 3.6% of the entire population in Slovenia has a PhD. The distribution between PhD adults by gender in Slovenia finds more female doctorates than male PhD earners. About 4.5% of adult females have a PhD, compared to about 3% of adult males in Slovenia.

2. Switzerland

Switzerland has the second-highest rate of PhDs globally, with nearly 3% of the adult population holding this advanced degree. In Switzerland, men are more likely to hold a PhD, representing 4% of the total male population, compared to about 2.5% for female doctorates.

3. Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, 2% of the total population holds a PhD. There are several countries nearly tied for 2% of the population with PhDs, and almost all of the highly educated countries are in Europe . In Luxembourg, 2.5% of male population have PhD degrees, compared to 2% of females.

4. United States

The United States is not far behind these European countries when it comes to having a highly educated population. About 1.8% of the U.S. population holds a PhD. Men are about as likely as women to have a PhD in the United States.

Coming in fifth, Sweden is home to 1.6% of its total population as doctorate degree holders. In this country, males and females are just about equal when it comes to this advanced degree. Around 2.5% of males have a PhD, while 2.2% of females hold a PhD in Sweden.

Another European country on our list of the most PhDs, Germany has about 1.4% of its population with a doctorate degree. This country sees a more significant discrepancy between males and females when it comes to higher education. About 1.75% of males are awarded PhDs, while only about 1% of females earn this degree in Germany.

7. The United Kingdom

Seventh on our list of highly educated countries with the most PhDs, the United Kingdom has about 1.3% of its population holding a doctorate. In the United Kingdom, males and females are pretty close to equal in higher education. Males account for more PhD degrees, with about 2.5%, while females are close behind with nearly 2.3% holding PhDs.

8. Australia

Breaking up the stranglehold at the top of our list between Europe and the United States, Australia makes the list by tying with the UK for the most PhD holding citizens per capita. In Australia, as in the UK, 1.3% of the population holds a doctorate degree. Males and females are awarded PhDs at almost identical rates, with males earning a PhD just slightly more frequently. Males account for 1.1% of the population earning PhDs in the country, while females account for 1.0%.

39 countries

What country has the highest percentage of PhDs?

Frequently asked questions.

• What are the characteristics and outcomes of doctoral graduates? - OECD
• These countries have the most doctoral graduates - World Economic Forum
• List of countries by number of doctorates awarded - Wiki

How many people have a PhD? Data from OECD countries

When working in academia, it is easy to forget how rare it is to have a PhD. However, data show that only a very small percentage of people hold a PhD degree. Learn more about the percentages of PhD holders, in addition to the numbers of PhD graduates and new PhD students in selected OECD countries.

Percentages of doctoral degree holders

Numbers of phd graduates, data on new phd students.

While it is widely known that only a small percentage of people are PhD holders, actual data is not always easy to come by. The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) is one of the few organizations that systematically surveys the state of education in its thirty-eight member countries.

According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2022 report, 1.3% of adults (25-64 year-olds) held a PhD in 2021 across the thirty-eight OECD countries.

There are of course country-specific differences. In Denmark and Germany, for instance, roughly 1% of the total population held a PhD in 2021. In the US and the UK, approximately 2% of the total population held a PhD in 2021. And in Slovenia, it was 5% of the population in 2021!

The following chart provides an overview of percentages of adults, defined as those between 25 and 64 years of age, who held a doctoral degree in 2021 in selected OECD countries:

In the Education at a Glance 2022 report, the percentages of people who obtained a doctoral degree in 2021 are rounded up. In reality, more subtle differences exist between countries. More detailed data are available on the percentage of adults (25-64 year-olds) with a doctoral degree in 2017. While this data is older, it paints a more varied picture of the differences between countries:

Combined, these insights make one thing very clear: Graduating with a doctoral degree is something special! Once you accomplish the goal of getting a PhD, you will belong to a small percentage of people who obtained the highest academic degree.

Every year, new people graduate with a PhD degree. Unfortunately, the OECD only records data from PhD graduates who are younger than 35 years. Personally, I find this choice surprising as doing a PhD later in life has many advantages . I would assume that there is a high number of PhD graduates every year who are older than 35.

Even though the available data does not provide a full picture of the situation, it generates some interesting insights. For instance, the average number of PhD graduates (<35 years of age) across OECD countries decreased since 2015:

The actual numbers of PhD graduates differ quite considerably when exploring individual countries. The following graph shows the total number of PhD graduates of eight OECD countries, as well as the division between female and male graduates in 2020:

In the UK, for instance, 2163 female individuals graduated with a PhD degree in 2020, compared to 2335 male individuals. Canada, on the other hand, gained 838 female and 1003 male new PhD holders in 2020. Unfortunately, data on gender distributions of PhD graduates was not available for the US.

The fields in which people obtain their PhD degree provides another interesting perspective. The OECD differentiates between academic fields, several of which can be found in the first column of the following table. This table showcases the number of PhD graduates in 2020 by academic field in selected countries:

In the seven selected OECD countries, the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics produced by far the highest number of PhD graduates in 2020.

Every year, new individuals enroll in doctoral degree studies. According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2022 report, the total number of new PhD students across the OECD decreased by 4% between 2013 and 2020. However, the report also stipulates that this average decrease is heavily influenced by a large drop in new PhD students in Poland (-77%) and in the Slovak Republic (-26%).

The following table shows the number of new PhD students in selected countries according to academic fields:

The average percentage of female entrants to doctoral programmes across all OECD countries is 49% (Source: Education at a Glance 2022 ). The following graph shows the share of new female entrants to doctoral programmes in 2020 in several countries:

Across OECD countries, the median age of people starting with a doctoral degree is 29 years (Source: Education at a Glance 2022 ).

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How Many People Have PhDs? Number of People With Doctoral Degree

A PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy, is often considered the pinnacle of academic achievement, representing years of rigorous study, research, and contribution to a particular discipline. But how many people have PhDs actually?

You may assume less than 2% of world’s population have PhDs. Countries like the United States and Germany lead in the sheer number of PhDs awarded annually. Other regions like China and India are quickly catching up too.

This article delves into how many people have PhDs, examining not only the numbers but also the trends, facts and implications.

How Many People Have PhDs?

When you dive into the numbers, you might be surprised at how many people have PhDs. In fact, very few people hold a PhD degree. Globally, the percentage of people with a doctoral degree is still relatively small, at less than 2%.

United States

Let’s start by looking into how many people have PhDs in the US.

In the U.S., about 2% of the adult population holds a PhD, which translates to around 71,000 new PhD graduates every year .

You might think that’s a lot, but when you consider the entire population of the US (333 million), it’s a fraction.

If you look at other countries, the picture changes. Let’s look at China, a rising giant in the academic work. How many people have PhDs in China?

The country currently produces about 56,000 PhDs annually, mostly in STEM fields.

Despite these impressive numbers, the percentage of the population holding a doctorate is lower than in Western countries. China’s sheer size means that, per capita, the number of PhD holders isn’t as high as you might expect.

Europe – Germany, UK, Slovenia, Switzerland etc.

If you look at how many people have PhDs in Europe, it tells a different story. Germany produces around 28,000 PhDs per year, focusing on engineering and natural sciences.

About 1.4% of the German population holds a doctoral degree, which is notable given the country’s emphasis on technical fields.

The UK is similar, with 28,000 PhDs awarded annually, though the focus is broader, including humanities and social sciences.

And then there are the smaller countries, which often have the highest percentage of PhD holders.

Slovenia stands out with a whopping 5% of its population holding a doctorate, with hundreds more added yearly. It’s an outlier in a way that makes you wonder about the country’s academic culture and emphasis on education.

Switzerland follows closely with 3% of its population holding PhDs, reflecting the country’s strong research and educational systems.

PhD Holders On The Rise Since The 2000s

If you zoom out and look at the broader trends, you see that the number of people with advanced degrees is increasing, especially since 2000.

The census shows a steady rise in PhD attainment across many countries, but it’s still a path taken by a minority. Whether in life sciences, humanities, or science and engineering, PhD holders represent a highly educated slice of the population.

What’s interesting is the contrast between the number of people who earn PhDs and those who hold other advanced degrees, like master’s or professional doctorates (e.g., MDs).

While the latter are more common, the prestige and specialization of a PhD still hold significant value across the world. Many employers see the discipline, focus and effort needed to complete a PhD , and enjoys having employees with such qualities.

Demography of PhD Holders

Now that we know how many people have PhDs, you may be keen to know about how the numbers break down. Here’s a couple of interesting ways to look at the total number of PhD holders:

If you’re looking at gender, you’ll find that women now slightly outnumber men in PhD attainment in the U.S .

In 2021, there were 108,690 female PhD holders compared to 85,370 male holders.

Yet, the story shifts dramatically when you break it down by field. Men still dominate STEM fields, particularly in:

• engineering,
• computer science, and
• physical sciences.

Women, on the other hand, have a stronger presence in life sciences and health-related fields.

This pattern isn’t unique to the U.S. Globally, men are more likely to hold PhDs in countries like

• Switzerland,
• Luxembourg, and

Switzerland, for instance, has 4% of men holding PhDs compared to 2.5% of women.

Age is another factor that shapes the demographics of PhD holders. How old are Ph.D holders on average?

The typical PhD graduate in OECD countries is around 29 years old, but you’ll often see older students in fields like education and social sciences, where life experience is valued.

These older graduates contribute to a more diverse academic workforce, particularly in countries with a growing number of non-traditional students.

Ethnicity is another layer of complexity, especially in the U.S.

In the US, 60% of PhD recipients are White, while Asian Americans make up a significant portion of STEM PhD holders.

Black and Hispanic Americans are underrepresented, though efforts are underway to address this disparity. Globally, the situation is similar, with minority groups often underrepresented in advanced degree attainment.

Geographically, there’s a stark contrast in access to PhD programs. While developed nations like the U.S. and Germany produce the most PhDs, countries like India and China are rapidly catching up.

You can see this reflected in the increasing number of PhD holders across the world, particularly in STEM fields. This global trend points to a more diversified and interconnected academic landscape.

Which PhD Degrees Are More Popular?

Looking into statistics from National Science Foundation in 2022, the fields with the highest number of PhD holders continue to be concentrated in Science and Engineering (S&E) disciplines. 

Specifically, the largest number of PhDs were awarded in the following fields:

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences : This field consistently produces a significant portion of PhDs, reflecting the ongoing demand for expertise in areas such as genetics, biochemistry, and medical research.
• Engineering : Engineering disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering, also see a large number of doctoral recipients. This is due to the broad applicability of engineering skills in both academia and industry.
• Health Sciences : As healthcare becomes increasingly complex and research-intensive, the number of PhDs in health sciences has grown, especially in fields like public health, nursing, and clinical sciences.
• Computer and Information Sciences : With the rise of data science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, PhDs in computer science and related fields have also seen a significant increase in universities.

These fields dominate the landscape of doctoral education, driven by both the demand for advanced research and the broad applicability of skills in these areas​

Is Research Doctorates More Popular, Or Professional Doctorates?

Now that we know how many people have PhDs, you may wonder if there are more professional doctorates than PhD.

When you look at the numbers, research doctorates like PhDs still dominate over professional doctorates.

In the U.S., the number of PhDs awarded each year continues to rise, especially in fields like science and engineering.

PhDs are the go-to for those who want to contribute original research, whether in:

• research institutions, or
• industries that need deep expertise.

You see this reflected in the sheer volume of PhDs conferred annually, compared to professional doctorates.

Academic Roles Usually Require A PhD

One reason for this is the traditional role of the PhD in academia. If you want to become a professor or a researcher, a PhD is usually non-negotiable.

The academic world values original research, and a PhD proves that you can push the boundaries of knowledge in your field of study. This expectation makes research doctorates more popular among those looking to build a career in universities or research labs.

Industrial Research Roles Prefer A PhD

Another reason is the growing demand for research-based expertise across industries. Companies in tech, pharmaceuticals, and even finance increasingly seek PhD holders for their analytical skills and ability to tackle complex problems.

The number of PhD graduates has been steadily climbing to meet this demand, particularly in science and engineering, where advanced research skills are highly valued.

Professional Doctorates Are For Professionals

Professional doctorates, while growing in popularity, cater to a different crowd. Degrees like the:

• Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) ,
• Doctor of Education (EdD), and
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are designed for working professionals.

These are people who want to advance in their careers without the heavy research focus of a PhD. While these degrees offer flexibility and practical application, they still lag behind PhDs in terms of numbers conferred annually.

Despite this, professional doctorates are on the rise. They’re increasingly appealing for their ability to blend academic rigor with real-world application, especially in fields like:

• education, and
• healthcare.

If you’re a mid-career professional looking to climb the ladder, a professional doctorate might be more aligned with your goals. But if your sights are set on academia or cutting-edge research, the PhD remains the gold standard.

PhD Holders Are A Small Percentage Of The Population

This article explores how many people have PhDs by region, field, and demographics, providing insights into global trends and the growing importance of advanced education.

The number of people holding PhDs has been steadily increasing worldwide, particularly in science and engineering fields. While countries like the U.S. and Germany lead in awarding PhDs, other regions are catching up. 

PhD holders contribute significantly to academia, research, and various industries, with the degree symbolizing a high level of expertise.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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Growth in proportion of UK academics holding PhDs slows

Latest hesa data suggests that more than two-thirds of full-time academics in the uk have doctorates.

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Growth in the proportion of UK academics holding doctorates has slowed in recent years, figures suggest.

In its data for 2021-22, the Higher Education Statistics Agency reports the highest qualification of 145,000 full-time UK academics – and for 68.7 per cent it was a doctorate.

After a steep rise in the first half of the decade attributed to more providers requiring new staff have a PhD, it appears that this rate has been largely unchanged for the past few years.

Yann Lebeau, professor of higher education research at the University of East Anglia , said this was the result of three trends, all related to the diversification of the sector.

The growth of courses with a significant vocational nature has boosted the number of academics recruited primarily for their professional expertise, said Professor Lebeau, while many who join the profession as a second career take a long time to complete the part-time doctoral programmes they are often enrolled on.

In addition, he said, the roll-out of teaching-only contracts meant that the number of PhD holders in UK society is not necessarily reflected within academia, where, contrary to many European countries, the qualification is not legally required.

While some universities have increased their share of doctorates by 20 to 30 percentage points between 2014-15 and 2021-22, other have seen a fall of up to 15 points .

Of UK providers where the highest qualification of at least 100 full-time academics is known, Edinburgh Napier University increased its share of academics with a doctorate more than any other.

Nazira Karodia, vice-principal of learning and teaching at Napier, said the rapid rise was likely an adjustment to new hiring requirements across the sector, but that growth has tapered off because of supply, demand and budget factors.

“Whilst more data is needed to say for certain, it is likely that the rate will stabilise over the coming years, simply because there is a limited pool of potential academics pursuing doctorates at any time,” she added.

At her institution, Professor Karodia said, the continued rise was attributable to several strategic initiatives, including the university’s intensified focus on research excellence.

Northumbria University has also recorded a sharp rise in the number of PhDs among its staff in recent years, which it said was the result of a strategic drive.

“Ensuring that the largest possible proportion of our colleagues had doctorates was an important foundation for our journey and helps ensure that all our students learn in a research-intensive environment,” said Tom Lawson, Northumbria’s deputy vice-chancellor.

London Business School has the highest rate in the UK, as 95.2 per cent of its full-time academics have received doctorates.

It was followed by Royal Holloway, University of London (89 per cent) and Birkbeck, University of London (88.9 per cent).

By contrast, just 5.1 per cent possessed doctorates at University College Birmingham , 6.5 per cent at BIMM University, and 7.4 per cent at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama .

A BIMM spokesperson said a doctorate was not an essential or requisite qualification for teaching staff at a creative arts institution, who are “highly qualified experts in their subject area with significant industry experience”.

A Guildhall spokesperson said the expertise of its staff was developed in settings that are often outside the academy, and their entry into the academy is through a different route than staff who move through PhD qualification.

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Graduate Statistics for the UK

The latest facts and figures on UK graduates | Updated March 2024

Graduates make a huge impact in the UK economy, job market and workplace, so we wanted to record all of the facts and figures surrounding graduates in one place.

We’ve scoured a huge amount of UK graduate information sources to provide you with all of the latest graduate statistics.

If you want to know the current number of graduates in the UK, the average graduate salary, or which universities have the lowest drop-out rates, and more… It’s all below.

Key UK Graduate Statistics

• As of 2023 , estimates show there will be 36.4 million graduates in the UK .
• Undergraduate figures increased by 0.4% from 527,070 in 2021 to 529,360 in 2022.
• Recent graduates (2020 onwards) currently face an unemployment rate of 12.7% , which equates to over 96,000 unemployed graduates each academic year.
• Universities in the UK awarded 133,995 first-class honours qualifications in 2022 , a 14.1% decrease from the 155,955 awarded in 2021.
• Business studies graduates achieved the highest number of qualified degrees, with a total of 175,670 graduates in 2022.
• Women made up 57.6% of higher education graduates in 2022, with 530,170 women graduating.
• On average, 6 in 100 (6.3%) students in the UK drop out of university, an average of 48,548 students each year since 2014.
• Male graduates typically at the age of 25 earn 5% more than the average female graduate
• The average student loan debt is £46,150 in England and takes and average of 29 years and 4 months to pay off.

Get the latest stats and studies delivered to your inbox

Get our studies on jobs, salaries, recruitment and more as soon as they are published, number of graduates per year in the uk.

In the UK, there are over 800,000 undergraduates and postgraduates leaving higher education each year. Importantly, this is the number of people graduating and does not include those who do not successfully complete their degree .[1]

“There were an estimated 36.4 million graduates in the UK in 2022”

In 2017 (the latest study of this kind), 42% of adults aged 21 to 64 years held a graduate degree, meaning there were over 34 million graduates then. [2] Using annual graduate figures, estimates would show that the figure in 2021 would be around 36.4 million graduates in the country.

Undergraduate numbers have steadily increased in the 2010s. The following graph shows this increase in the number of graduates per year in the UK.

Undergraduate figures increased by 7% from 492,355 in 2019/20 to 527,070 in 2020/21.

However, from 2020/21 to the 2021/22 academic year, undergraduate figures increased by only 0.4% from 527,070 to 529,360.

Similar to undergraduates, postgraduate numbers also increased in 2020/21 by 12%. The sharp increase in both undergraduate and postgraduate figures in 2021 is likely due to the drop seen in the 2019/20 year as a result of the pandemic. Postgraduate numbers saw a similar increase in 2021/22 with a 12.9% increase on the previous year, from 345,700 to 390,585.

Gender split of graduates in the UK

The table below shows comparisons of UK graduates by gender from 2019 to 2022: [34]

Female graduates made the largest contribution to the total number of graduates over the previous five years. In fact, females made up 57.6% of higher education students in 2021/22, totalling 530,170. The number of females studying in higher education has increased by 13.5% since 2019/20.

Male numbers have also steadily increased from 332,925 in 2019/20 to 387,690 in 2021/22, a 16.4% increase in male graduates. Graduates who identify as other genders have also increased since 2019/20 from 1,000 to 2,080 in total. A large increase of around 108%. [34]

Which course has the highest number of graduates?

In the UK, typically business studies is the course with the highest number of graduates at a total of 141,125 graduates achieving a degree in this selected field in 2020. In second place, science subjects allied to medicine and biological sciences awarded 159,520 students with a degree in that same year. [1]

At the other end of the scale, veterinary science courses typically have the fewest number of graduates in the UK with just 2,480 graduates entering the market in 2022.

Undergraduate enrolment by ethnicity

The vast majority (71.5%) of undergraduates are white, while Asian students account for the second-largest demographic at 12.9%. The third-largest ethnicity demographic in 2022 was Black students (8.5%), followed by just under 1 in 20 (4.8%) who were from mixed ethnic backgrounds, as well as 2.3% who were from other minority ethnic groups.

Over a six-year period prior to 2022, the percentage of Asian, Black, Mixed and other ethnic groups beginning an undergraduate course has increased from 24% to 28.5%. [3]

Black students have seen the biggest increase in postgraduate study as figures rose from 5.8% in 2010/11 to 8.3% in 2019/20. Postgraduate entrants who were Asian rose by 2.4% from 9.4% over the same period.[4]

Graduate achievements by ethnicity

A higher proportion of white graduates (36.1%) complete their degree with a first-class qualification than any other ethnicity, closely followed by those with mixed ethnicity (31.3%).

The data below breaks down degree achievement by ethnicity:

According to the UK government, the percentage gap decreased from 26.3% to 20.0% between white and Black graduates getting a first-class or upper second degree from 2015 to 2022. The data suggests the trend is shifting but could take many more years to get to similar levels. [5]

Student dropout rates in the UK

On average, 6 in 100 (6.3%) students in the UK drop out of university. Since 2007/08, dropout rates have decreased by 1.1%, from 7.3% in 2008, to 6.2% a decade later. [6] This would mean an average of 48,548 students each year drop out.

Universities with the highest dropout rates in the UK

The graph below shows the universities with the highest dropout rates:

The university with the highest dropout rate as of the 2019/20 year is Arden University with a dropout rate of 32.3%. This is followed by Point Blank Music School at 19.2% [7]

Universities with the lowest dropout rates

The universities with the lowest dropout rates in the country as of 2019/20 are the Royal Veterinary College (0.4%), the University of Cambridge (0.6%), and the University of St Andrews (0.6%). [7]

Studies show that the majority of universities with the lowest dropout rates can be found in the top 20 on the Complete University Guide’s league table. St George’s and the University of London are just two universities that have one of the lowest dropout scores and don’t sit in the top 20 league table.

Undergraduate courses with the highest dropout rates

IT and computing degrees, such as computer science, have the highest dropout rates with 9.2% not making it.

Undergraduate courses with the highest dropout rates were as follows: [7]

In 2020, 29,360 students in the UK deferred their studies for a gap year due to the pandemic, a 9.4% increase compared to 2019. [8]

Which universities have the best grades in the UK?

Overall, universities in the UK awarded 133,995 first-class honours qualifications in 2022, a 14.1% decrease from the previous year where 155,955 were awarded.

We ranked data based on which universities awarded the most first class honours awards in 2022 below, with the University of Manchester coming out on top with 2,855 given. [9]

Universities with the most first-class degrees in the UK

The University of Leeds ranked second awarding 2,750 first-class honours classifications.

Overall, 197,345 upper second class honours qualifications were awarded in 2020/2021, a 4.1% increase compared to the year before.

UK universities with top employment figures

The University of Cambridge has the highest employability ranking for the 2022 academic year, with the University of Oxford coming in second.

The table below shows the UK universities with the highest employability rank in the 2022 academic year. [32]

Which universities have the best career prospects?

Five institutions based in London ranked in the top ten for the best career prospects in the UK.  Imperial College London scored the highest (95%) based on the success of graduates after leaving university with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) scoring slightly lower at 91%. [10]

The graph below shows the top ten universities in the UK ranked by their career prospects:

Best UK universities for business founders

Whilst many graduates full of ambition go on to secure a full-time role, many also opt for a different path and become business founders. The best UK university for the proportion of business founders was found to be the University of the Arts London (15.83%), followed by LSE (14.03%).[11]

The table below shows the top ten universities for producing business founders ranked by the percentage of founders that came from there:

The percentage of business founders is made from the number of graduates from that institution who go on to become business founders.

Graduate schemes: what are they?

Graduate schemes are designed to help someone gain industry experience whilst earning a competitive salary. The aim of the scheme is to allow new candidates to explore various areas of a business in order to broaden their knowledge whilst following a structured program, leading to a successful career for many.

Companies such as Google, KMPG, NHS, and the UK Civil Service are just a few of many large corporations offering graduate schemes on a yearly basis in Britain.

Who is eligible for a graduate scheme?

Graduate schemes require a minimum grade in order to be considered for the role. In most cases, a 2.1 or higher is the grade most companies will look for when recruiting new candidates .

How many graduate schemes do students apply for?

Recent reports show that students on average were applying up to 29 graduates schemes with different employers.

“The NHS receives an average of 85 applications for every graduate position”

In terms of NHS graduate schemes, reports show the public health service receives around 85 applications for each graduate position; they have 17,000 applications for just 200 spaces. [12]

On average, reports show that overall graduate job applications have increased by 41% from 2020 to 2021. [13]

What is the average graduate scheme salary?

The average graduate scheme salary is £30,362 and ranges between £25,000 and £32,000 according to Glassdoor [14] .

If you require more information on this topic, our research team has also compiled a complete analysis of graduate salaries in the UK   including a comparison to non-graduates and a variety of job-specific data.

How much do graduate jobs pay by region?

As you would expect, London pays the highest starting salary for graduates at £31,423, with the East of England following at £26,216. In the UK, Northern Ireland pays the least at an average of £22,143 to start. [15]

The table below shows the average starting salary for graduates around the UK:

Graduate starting salaries can clearly vary with a clear financial divide between the North and South of the UK. The total average salary in the UK is £29,669 as of 2023, therefore, only London graduates meet and exceed this.

Which graduate schemes pay the highest?

The highest-paid graduate scheme in the UK is a private finance role for Rothschilds, with a salary of £65,000 followed by investment banking positions with J.P. Morgan, who will pay graduates £58,000 a year. [16]

Most commonly, the highest-paid graduate schemes sit within finance and banking and often exceed the average amount by tens of thousands of pounds.

How many undergraduates gain work experience?

Studies show that the majority (64%) of undergraduates undertake some period of unpaid work experience, with 41% of this group doing so for at least one month. [17]

In 2020, that would mean around 512,227 (64%) students did some period of work experience before entering the job market as graduates, and 210,014 did so unpaid.

“Over 210,000 students work unpaid during their degrees each year”

A separate study from 1995 showed that 82% of undergraduates had some work experience during their degree, comparatively this could indicate modern students are less likely to do work experience. [18]

In terms of employability, most (94%) interns are offered job roles once they have completed work experience, therefore, it is a valuable decision for students to add to their CV. [17]

How long does it take graduates to secure a job?

Securing a job role is a process many students start prior to graduating with many beginning applications in an attempt to begin full-time work as soon as possible once qualified.

Studies show the time it takes for graduates to secure a job varies anywhere between three to 18 months.

Graduate outcomes and employment figures

In 2023, 82% of UK graduates from 2021 were in full-time or part-time employment. That’s around 314,450 graduates employed from that year. [33]

“A typical graduate cohort will see around 82% enter into employment or further studies within a year”

Below is an example of typical graduate outcomes showing the many different paths students choose once they have completed their degrees. The data refers to the graduates who graduating in 2020 and what they were doing when data was analysed in 2022.

Using 2021 graduates the data shows a typical outcome for a year’s cohort of students: the majority 89% are in some form of education or employment, a further 5% go into caring for loved ones and/or travel, while the remaining 5% are unemployed, or unknown.

Degrees with the highest employment in the UK

Degrees related to professional services, tech , and science, had the highest percentage of high-skilled graduates employed in the UK at 93%, closely followed by information and communication professionals (90%).[19] Therefore, the degrees with the highest employment in the UK, are likely those in I.T., tech, and science related fields.

Below is a table which displays the percentage of graduates and/or postgraduates working in various professional industries by the level of skill, giving some indication of employment by degree subject:

9 in 10 (90%) postgraduates who completed their course in 2018/2019 were in high-skilled jobs in 2021. In comparison to this, undergraduates equated to 69% suggesting that postgraduate study makes a prospective employee more likely to be hired.

How many graduates are self-employed?

In 2021, 13,275 graduates (from 2018 onwards) were self-employed , using graduate figures, that would mean only 0.42% of graduates from four academic years became self-employed after graduating.[19]

The table below demonstrates graduate numbers (from two academic years) for self-employment, and those running their own business, or working on creating projects.

What is the average graduate salary?

The average graduate salary in the UK is £30,000 and has been this way since 2015. As we’ve discussed, this varies per region, and graduate schemes often inflate the average when compared to an entry-level role outside of such schemes.

Data from the UK government states that as of 2022, the median nominal graduate salary in the UK is £38,500, however, when adjusted for inflation, the median real-terms salary for graduates is £26,500. [30]

UK graduate salaries per subject area

Science-based subjects such as medicine, dentistry, subjects allied to medicine, biological science, and veterinary sciences pay the highest salary to graduates who achieve a first-class degree and are highly skilled with starting salaries ranging between £31,000 to £35,000. [19]

A medium skilled dentistry role could be a dental assistant, while the high-skilled role in the field could be a dentist. This designation is not a choice we have made in the analysis and comes from the various data sources.

For most roles, if graduates possess a lower range of skills when starting out, the average salary earned is £18,000 with the potential to progress as skillsets are improved.

Best universities for high salaries in the UK

The best university for high salaries is the University College of Estate Management (UCEM), as 29% of its graduates receive a salary of £51,000 or more. This is a remote learning institution specialising in construction and real estate graduates, leading to roles that have higher salaries.

London School of Economics (LSE) is the next highest university with 12% of its graduates hitting the £51,000+ salary mark. [13] In 2021, LSE was offering 41 undergraduate courses therefore not having a specialised pool of undergraduates like UCEM.

The following is a list of the top ten universities ranked by the percentage of graduates earning above £51,000:

The highest published graduate starting salaries for 2021 include law firms White & Case (£50,000), Clifford Chance (£48,000), Baker McKenzie (£48,000), Linklaters (£47,000), technology company TPP (£45,000) and retailer Aldi (£44,000.) [13]

Other studies [31] on universities with the highest graduate salaries have shown:

• Graduates of Bayes Business School (formerly Cass) earn an average of £52,167 five years after graduating.
• Students leaving the University of Oxford can expect an average salary of £47,618 after five years.
• Imperial College graduates earn an average of £45,741 per year after five years.
• The average salary five years after graduation for students from the University of Cambridge is £44,190.
• University College London graduates achieve an average salary of £40,855 five years after graduation.

Gender pay gap for graduates

Male full-time high-skilled graduates who obtained first-class degree qualifications and entered full-time paid employment in the UK in 2019 were paid on average £26,000 compared to high skilled females who were paid £24,500. [19]

On average, male graduates at the age of 25 earn 5% more than the average female graduate. By age 30, the gender pay gap in annual earnings stands at 25%. [20]

The graph below demonstrates the portion of graduates and their earnings for men and women. [19] Studies do not offer comparative information for anyone identifying as other than male or female.

Lower salary bands on average have a higher percentage of women earning more than men. Whilst an average of 6% more women than men earned more in the salary bracket £24,000 – £26,999, it seems that the gender pay gap widens as the salary band increases. In particular, 7% of males earn £51,000+ compared to just 3% of females.

How many unemployed graduates in the UK?

The graduate unemployment rate is 12.7% for graduates who obtained a degree in recent years (2020 onwards). In 2021, the graduate unemployment rate was 12%, meaning the rate has decreased by 0.7 percentage points.[30]

With the rate of 12%, this would mean, in recent years, there are approximately 96,041 unemployed graduates each year in the UK, based off 2021’s academic year.

When looking at the data regionally, we can see that England, Wales, and Scotland have an average graduate unemployment rate of 5%, while Northern Ireland has just 3%. [2]

How many jobs do graduates apply for?

Most graduates who apply for graduate schemes and job roles will never receive a response from the majority of their applications. With most graduates applying on average to around 25 job roles, they find that the ratio of receiving an invitation to an interview to job applications is just over twenty to one .

Degrees with the highest unemployment in the UK

There are some degree subjects that are more likely to land you a job when you graduate than others. One study analysed the employability of different degrees by asking students to give a rating on the job prospects available to them after graduating.

Media and cultural studies came out as the worst degree subject for employment with students rating it a 2.5/5 on average. As a broad degree, students found that jobs in media were highly competitive and applicants with more specific skills generally fared better.

The degree subject with the second lowest employability rating was European studies (2.8/5). Similar to international relations (3/5), graduates in this sector are often competing for a small number of roles in global organisations, making it a tough job market.

Other subjects that students rated poorly for job prospects were Psychology (2.9/5), which often requires further study to obtain a job, and civil engineering (3.1/5) which saw a 50% decrease in new apprentices in 50% as the sector has struggled to offer new jobs.[28]

UK graduates and Covid-19

The pandemic had a detrimental impact on the opportunities available and career prospects for everyone, but especially graduates who entered the market at the time.

As many were ordered to stay indoors, 75% of graduates noticed a fall in the number of available opportunities in 2020 and 2021, with many (72.6%) graduates feeling less confident about their future. [38] According to the University of Southampton, 83% said that the pandemic had a detrimental impact on graduates’ employment prospects with most graduates saying they had to rethink their future (79.4%). [21]

Furthermore, the ONS found that UK graduates reported a lower life satisfaction score (6.7) than people of their typical age (6.9) and average adults (7.0) during that time. [22]

The pandemic also saw many more graduates in roles that aren’t typically filled by people with degrees. In the UK in 2020, 25.5% of graduates were in a role that was requiring skills less than they had gained in their degree, referred to as a ‘skills mismatch’, this was 5% more in 2019 during the pandemic. [2]

Student finance statistics in UK

Fees to study at university were first introduced in 1998. In 2006, a new system was introduced which would make studying for a degree more accessible. The cost to study was raised to £3,000 in England which would be classed as a tuition loan. As fees gradually increased, the Government raised fees further to £9,000 per year in 2012.

Whilst the pandemic caused record unemployment, graduates were also unable to make repayments. [40] In fact, 201,900 graduates (From various academic years) failed to make repayments through their salary in 2020-21.

How much is the average student loan debt in the UK?

As students in England pay £9,000 a year to study for their chosen degree, they will incur an average of over £46,150 of student loan debt in the 2021/22 year.

In comparison, the average student loan debt varies in other regions, for example, Wales has an average of £33,830, and Northern Ireland has £24,360. Scotland has the lowest average student loan debt at £14,840, this is due to Scottish students not having to pay tuition fees. [23]

When does a student debt have to be paid off?

Whilst the new system implemented in 2012 allows students to defer their student loans during their study, these debts still have to be repaid within 30 years.

The table below shows a graduates minimum earnings (before tax) to have to pay back their student debts:

As you can see, England has the highest repayment threshold allowing graduates to earn up to £27,295 a year before having to start making repayments. In comparison, Northern Ireland has the lowest threshold with graduates beginning repayments once earning £19,895.

The average annual repayment via HMRC per region in order was England (£930), Northern Ireland (£840), Wales (£800), and finally, Scotland (£660.)

How long on average does it take a graduate to pay off their student loan?

As students start making repayment at different thresholds, the average time to pay off a student loan may vary per person. A study revealed that a student loan takes an average of 29 years and 4 months to pay off with the average debt being just under £48k in England. [25]

According to the UK Government, it is expected that just 25% of current full-time undergraduates will repay their full student loan. [26]

Outstanding student debt

The Students Loan Company states that as of 2021, outstanding student loan debt in the United Kingdom reached over 177 billion British pounds starting from 2013/14 when student debts were increased to £9,000 a year.

“Estimates say by 2050, there will be £560 billion of student loan debt in the UK”

England owes the majority of this debt standing at £160 billion with Scotland totalling £6.5 billion, Wales £6.2 billion, and Northern Ireland £4.1 billion. By the middle of the century, the Government predicts that the value of outstanding loans will be around £560 billion. [27]

In 2021, 1,117,000 students took a student loan. The value of student loans equalled £15,908 million.

[1] HESA: Higher Education Student Statistics: UK https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students

[2] ONS: Graduates’ labour market outcomes during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/graduateslabourmarketoutcomesduringthecoronaviruscovid19pandemicoccupationalswitchesandskillmismatch/2021-03-08

[3] Gov: First year entrants onto undergraduate study

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/higher-education/first-year-entrants-onto-undergraduate-and-postgraduate-degrees/latest/

Accessed February 2024

[4] Office for Students: Equality, diversity, and student characteristics data.

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/equality-diversity-and-student-characteristics-data/

[5] UK Gov: Undergraduate degree results

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/higher-education/undergraduate-degree-results/latest

[6] Debut: Degree Dropouts

https://debut.careers/degree-dropouts/

[7] HESA: UK Higher Education Performance Indicators –

https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation

[8] Teaching Abroad Direct: Gap Year Statistics UK

https://www.teachingabroaddirect.co.uk/blog/gap-year-statistics-uk

[9] HESA: HE qualifiers by HE provider and level of qualification obtained 2014/15 to 2021/22

https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-16

[10] Complete University Guide: University League Tables 2022

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?sortby=graduate-prospects

[11] Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance: Which university produces the most CEOs? Via

https://www.businessleader.co.uk/which-university-produces-the-most-ceos/#

[12] NHS: Multi-award winning Graduate Management Training Scheme doubles its intake

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/news-blogs-events/news/multi-award-winning-graduate-management-training-scheme-doubles-its-intake

[13] Highfliers: The Graduate Market in 2021

https://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/2021/graduate_market/GM21-Report.pdf

[14] Glassdoor: Graduate Scheme Salaries in the UK

https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/graduate-scheme-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.htm

[15] Prospects Luminate: Graduate Salaries in the UK

https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/graduate-salaries-in-the-uk

[16] Glide: Highest Paid Graduate Schemes

https://glide.co.uk/guides/highest-paid-graduate-schemes/

[17] Prospects: Students urged to focus on longer work experience for employability boost

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/prospects-press-office/students-urged-to-focus-on-longer-work-experience-for-employability-boost

[18] HEFCE: Nature and extent of undergraduates’ work experience

https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5159/1/rd19_02.pdf

[19] HESA: Graduates’ salaries

https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates/salaries

[20] IFS: Gender differences in subject choice lead to gender pay gap immediately after graduation

https://ifs.org.uk/publications/15657#:~:text=At%20age%2025%2C%20the%20average,annual%20earnings%20stands%20at%2025%25 .

[21] AGCAS : The Impact of Covid-19 On Recent Graduates’ Career Decisions And Outcomes

https://www.agcas.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Resources/Research%20and%20knowledge/826_The_impact_of_Covid-19_on_recent_graduates_career_decisions_and_outcomes_-_July_2021.pdf

[22] ONS: Coronavirus and higher education students. November 2021  https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/bulletins/coronavirusandhighereducationstudents/5to15november2021

[23] UK Gov: Average Loan Balance on entry into repayment

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62a9a6c8d3bf7f03744c7c90/Average_loan_balance_on_entry_into_repayment.pdf

[24] STS: Student Loan repayment guide 2021

https://www.savethestudent.org/student-finance/student-loan-repayments.html#plan2

[25] Cosmopolitan: It takes a depressingly long time to pay off your student loan

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/campus/a12443209/how-long-uni-students-pay-student-loans/

[26] UK Parliament: House of Commons Library: Student loan statistics https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01079/

[27] Statista: Outstanding debt of student loans in the UK 2013-2021

https://www.statista.com/statistics/376411/uk-outstanding-student-loan-debt/

[28] Ice: Is COVID-19 a friend or foe of civil engineering? – https://www.ice.org.uk/news-and-insight/ice-community-blog/august-2021/covid-19-friend-or-foe-civil-engineering

[29] Edu Opinions: Student reviews of the best degrees for job prospects – https://www.eduopinions.com/blog/what-to-study/eduopinions-student-reviews-guide-best-degrees-for-job-prospects/

[30] UK Gov: Graduate Labour Markets 2022 – https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-labour-markets

[31] Adzuna: Which Universities Produce the Highest Earning Graduates? – https://www.adzuna.co.uk/blog/which-universities-produce-the-highest-earning-graduates/

[32] Times Higher Education: Graduate Employability – https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/graduate-employability-top-universities-uk-ranked-employers

[33] HESA: Higher Education Graduate Outcomes – https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/16-06-2022/sb263-higher-education-graduate-outcomes-statistics/activities

[34] HESA: Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2021/22 – Qualifications achieved – https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/19-01-2023/sb265-higher-education-student-statistics/qualifications

[35] HESA: Higher Education Student Statistics: What are HE students’ progression rates and qualifications?- https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/outcomes

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Higher education in the UK - Statistics & Facts

Uk universities, grades, subjects and debt, key insights.

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Number of university applicants in the United Kingdom from 1994 to 2023 (in 1,000s)

Number of students enrolled in higher education in the United Kingdom from 2009/10 to 2022/23 (in millions)

Number of university enrollments in the UK 2022/23, by subject

Number of university enrollments in the United Kingdom in 2022/23, by subject group

Leading EU countries studying in the UK 2021/22

Leading European Union countries of origin for higher education students studying in the United Kingdom in 2021/22

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Leading non-European Union countries of origin for higher education students studying in the United Kingdom in 2021/22

• Basic Statistic Percentage of undergraduate degrees awarded each grade in the UK 2011-2023
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Average annual salary of graduates and non-graduates in England from 2007 to 2023 (in 1,000 GBP)

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Employment rate of graduates and non-graduates in England from 2007 to 2023

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• Basic Statistic Leading U.K. universities ranked by the Complete University Guide 2024
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Number of higher education institutions in the United Kingdom from 2016/17 to 2021/22

Universities with the highest number of students in the United Kingdom in 2022/23

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• Basic Statistic Government spending on higher education in the UK 2009-2024
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Public sector expenditure on tertiary education in the United Kingdom from 2009/10 to 2023/24 (in billion GBP)

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Outstanding debt of student loans in the UK 2013-2024

Outstanding debt of student loans in the United Kingdom from 2013/14 to 2023/24, by country (in billion GBP)

Tuition fees as a share of higher education income in the UK 2008-2022

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• Premium Statistic International student share of higher-ed population worldwide in 2022, by country
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International student share of higher-ed population worldwide in 2022, by country

Countries with the largest amount of international students as a share of the total higher education population in 2022

Higher education spending per student worldwide by country 2020

Expenditure on higher education per student in OECD countries worldwide in 2020 (in U.S. dollars)

Degrees earned in higher education U.S. 1950-2032

Number of higher education degrees earned in the United States from 1950 to 2032 (in 1,000s)

Share of those aged between 15 and 64 with tertiary educational attainment in Europe in 2023, by country

Share of those aged between 30 and 34 with tertiary educational attainment in Europe in 2023, by country

Share of population that are university graduates in the EU 2002-2023, by age

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Which countries have the most doctoral graduates?

At graduation ceremonies graduates celebrate by throwing their hats into the air. Image:  REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

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Do you hold a doctorate? If the answer is yes, you’re among a small but increasing proportion of adults to have earned the highest degree awarded in academia.

Just 1.1% of 25- to 64-year-olds held a doctoral degree on average across OECD countries in 2018, according to the organisation’s Education at a Glance 2019 report.

Although, as the chart below shows, the share of the population with a doctoral degree varies significantly across OECD countries, from almost 4% in Slovenia to 0.1% in Indonesia.

Growing pool of doctoral candidates

When it comes to sheer numbers, the United States has the most doctoral graduates by far (71,000 in 2017), though it is ranked fourth in per capita terms. Germany and the United Kingdom are next with around 28,000 each.

Have you read?

How can we stem the tide of women graduates leaving science, if the master’s degree is the new bachelor’s, is the doctorate now the new master's, these are the most educated countries in the world.

Overall the number of doctorate holders is on the rise, growing by about 8% across OECD countries between 2013 and 2017, and in particular in Mexico, Spain and the United States.

If the current pace of growth continues then 2.3% of today’s young adults living in OECD countries will go on to study at doctoral level in their lifetime, the report says.

This is good news not only for doctoral graduates – who can expect relatively high employment rates and earnings in most countries, especially if they enter the private sector – but also for entire economies.

By advancing knowledge and research across academia and industry, doctoral students and doctorate holders can help make economies more innovative.

No wonder then that some countries try to attract more doctoral candidates with incentives such as charging lower fees (Australia, Italy and Switzerland) and recognizing them as employees rather than students (Norway and Switzerland).

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Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2021/22

This release is the annual first release of Graduate Outcomes survey data and covers UK higher education providers (HEPs) and further education colleges (FECs) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Data is collected approximately 15 months after HE course completion.

Following an assessment from the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), the Graduate Outcomes data publication has been awarded official statistics accreditation. Please see the Graduate Outcomes data awarded official statistics accreditation and OSR report for more detail.

This bulletin has been produced by Jisc in collaboration with statisticians from the Department for Education, the Office for Students, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland. It has been released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

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Related datasets.

• Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2018/19
• Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2017/18
• Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2019/20
• Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2020/21

Supporting documents

Official statistics team

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