How likely are you to be employed? By university and course

 The number of graduates entering employment and further study has risen according to an annual survey of students. Photograph: Andrew Fox/Alamy/Alamy

Does it make a difference what you study - and where - to finding a job once you graduate?

Despite the tough economic climate, the UK graduate employment rate has increased according to an annual report into student leavers.

The latest figures by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) show that 2009/2010 graduates were more likely to be in employment or further studying than their predecessors from 2008/2009. Further detailed statistics were also published by Hesa showing the destination of leavers by subject and gender.

Graduate employment in the UK from full-time first degree students has risen to 90.4% from 89.9% with those studying medicine & dentistry and veterinary science having the highest rate. Jeevan Vasagar has written:

A poll of employers published in June found that a sustained recovery of the graduate recruitment market is underway with vacancies expected to rise by 2.6% this year. But that survey, for the Association of Graduate Recuiters, also indicated intense competition with an average of 83 candidates chasing each job.

Data published by the higher education statistics agency on Friday show that Buckingham, a private university, had a 100% employment record. However this was based on just 55 graduates.

Among larger institutions, Robert Gordon university in Scotland fared best, with a 95.7% employment rate. Surrey had the best record of any English institution, at 94.8%.

Hesa surveyed over 20,000 graduates of 2009/10 to compile the graduate employment results.

Those studying computer science ranked lowest with 84.7% of those surveyed being employed or embarking on further study compared to the 99.6% studying medicine & dentistry and veterinary science.

It should be noted however that Hesa include both part-time and full-time employment for the purposes of this report.

The data also shows us which occupations graduates are most likely to end up in by subject studied. For example those studying mass communications and documentation were more likely to be employed in associate professional and technical occupations than those studying medicine and dentistry.

All students employed in either part-time or full-time jobs and those continuing with further study are included in the rate given by Hesa in the table below. You can view the rate by university by clicking on the heading.

How do we account for the differences between subjects and the individual university employment rate? The benchmarks provided by Hesa allow for easier comparison by taking into account varying differences in institution and course and give a mark that allows for a more reliable comparison.

What can you do with this data?

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Full-time first degree (Base population)Part-time first degree (Base population)1 Medicine & dentistry and veterinary science 5 Agriculture & related subjects A Architecture, building, and planning D Business & administrative studies E Mass communications & documentation G Historical & philosophical studies

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Medical dental or veterinary graduates (%)Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln The Arts University College at Bournemouth Buckinghamshire New University Canterbury Christ Church University The University of Central Lancashire Central School of Speech and Drama Conservatoire for Dance and Drama University for the Creative Arts Guildhall School of Music and Drama Harper Adams University College The University of Huddersfield Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine Leeds Trinity University College Liverpool John Moores University The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts University of the Arts, London London Metropolitan University London School of Economics and Political Science The Manchester Metropolitan University The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne The University of Northumbria at Newcastle Norwich University College of the Arts The Nottingham Trent University University College Plymouth St Mark and St John Queen Mary and Westfield College Royal Holloway and Bedford New College Royal Northern College of Music St George's Hospital Medical School St Mary's University College, Twickenham The School of Oriental and African Studies Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance University of the West of England, Bristol The University of Wolverhampton University of Wales Institute, Cardiff The University of Wales, Lampeter The University of Wales, Newport Swansea Metropolitan University Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama The University of the West of Scotland The Queen's University of Belfast Stranmillis University College

• DATA: download the full spreadsheet

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