russell group grad salaries 2023

These are the Russell Group unis you need to go to if you want to earn the most as a grad

Because let’s be honest, it actually is all about the money, money, money


When it comes to picking what university you want to go to, how much you’re set to earn after you graduate is usually high on everyone’s list. Naturally you want to ensure you’re making good on your £9,250 a year investment.

Whilst most people are on similar starting salaries straight after they graduate, after a couple of years in the working world graduate salaries can begin to fluctuate significantly.

With grad salaries remaining pretty much unchanged since 2015, a report released last year which said grad salaries were set to rise for the first time in seven years was very welcomed. The average graduate starting salary from the country’s top employers is now also expected to rise for the second year in a row, by £1,500 from last year to £33,500 in 2023 meaning that grads are now earning even more than ever.

But which university will have you earning the most? Data gathered by Adzuna reveals which universities grads, on average, are earning the highest salaries after they graduate.

All of the 24 Russell Group universities have grads earning over £30k after five years but only four unis have grads earning over £40k and unsurprisingly they are Oxbridge and London unis.

Here are the best Russell Group grad salaries 2023 ranked by university, starting from highest to lowest:

University of Oxford – £49,086

Imperial College London – £46,305

University of Cambridge – £42,680

University College London – £40,852

Durham University – £38,686

London School of Economics – £37,470

King’s College London – £37,025

Newcastle University – £36,975

Queen’s University Belfast – £36,392

University of Edinburgh – £36,291

University of Warwick – £35,790

University of Manchester – £35,686

University of Nottingham – £35,224

University of Bristol – £34,143

Queen Mary, University of London – £33,685

University of York – £33,356

University of Southampton – £33,209

Cardiff University – £32,554

University of Exeter – £32,187

University of Birmingham – £31,450

University of Liverpool – £31,143

University of Leeds – £30,722

University of Sheffield – £30,651

University of Glasgow – £30,501

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