Are art students stuffed? The most employable university subjects, ranked by graduate data

Data on graduate outcomes reveals which university degrees are the most employable in 2026, and which subjects are the worst for getting a grad job.

Overall, 72 per cent of students who graduated from UK universities in 2024 found a full-time job, or a place on a full-time further education course (or managed to work and study) within 15 months. The stats do differ between STEM students and arts students. 75 per cent of grads from science courses got jobs or further study places, while only 69 per cent of non-science students did.

The absolute worst subject to study at university if you want to get a job afterwards is design, and creative and performing arts. Only 53 per cent of these grads were in full-time employment or further study within 15 months. The most employable university degrees are in medicine and dentistry. 86 per cent of those students are working or studying after 15 months.

Grads who hopefully have found something to do

This data all comes from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The figures refer to the proportion of students who left uni in 2024, then were in full-time employment, full-time further education, or employment and education 15 months later.

For context, human geography comes under “geographical and environmental studies (social sciences)”. Physical geography falls within “geography, earth and environmental studies (natural sciences)”.  “Subjects allied to medicine” includes midwifery, nursing, physiotherapy and pharmacy. HESA categorises English literature under “language and area studies”, however Classics counts as “historical, philosophical and religious studies”.

Here university subjects ranked by employability, based on how many grads find full-time work or study:

1. Medicine and dentistry – 86 per cent

2. Veterinary sciences – 85 per cent

3. Engineering and technology – 80 per cent

4. Education and teaching – 78 per cent

=5. Architecture, building and planning – 78 per cent

A Lancaster University student admiring the architecture

=5. Physical sciences – 78 per cent

=7. Mathematical sciences – 77 per cent

=7. Law – 77 per cent

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=9. Subjects allied to medicine – 75 per cent

=9. Geography, earth and environmental studies (natural sciences) – 75 per cent

=11. Social sciences – 73 per cent

=11. Geography, earth and environmental studies (social sciences) – 73 per cent

13. Business and management – 71 per cent

=14. Psychology – 70 per cent

=14. Biological and sport sciences – 70 per cent

University of Bristol students working very very hard on their degrees

=14. Computing – 70 per cent

17. Agriculture, food and related studies – 69 per cent

=18. Historical, philosophical and religious studies – 64 per cent

=18. Language and area studies – 64 per cent

20. Media, journalism and communications – 63 per cent

21. Combined and general studies – 62 per cent

22. Design, and creative and performing arts – 53 per cent

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