Postgraduates
The data
This year's survey was carried out between December 2018 and September 2019.
Where does the data come from?
The guidelines for carrying out this survey come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). In the most recent survey the level of data for PhD graduates has increased due to these guidelines. The data below is for postgraduates who completed their course between 1 August 2017 and 31 July 2018.
What can I find in this section?
In this section you can view the overall postgraduate destinations statistics below or you can look at individual destinations data by Imperial department by using the 'By department' tab below. You can also browse through case studies of previous Imperial students and their career paths to date.
Text only tables
View text-only tables of the overall destinations data in the graphs below.
If you have any enquiries about destinations of Imperial students, please email us.
DLHE tabs
Overall destinations
Graph 1: Overall destinations of postgraduates from the Graduate Outcomes Survey:
Bar chart showing the results of the postgraduate collection of the Graduate Outcomes Survey for 2018.
For taught postgraduates, 0.4% were caring for someone (unpaid); 1% were developing a creative, artistic or professional portfolio; 1.5% were doing something else; 16.1% were engaged in a course of study, training or research; 70.4% were in paid work for an employer; 4% were running their own business; 1.8% were self-employed/freelancing; 1.2% were taking time out to travel (this does not include short-term holidays); 3.2% were unemployed and looking for work and 0.8% were in voluntary/unpaid work for an employer.
For research postgraduates, 0.5% were caring for someone (unpaid); 0.7% were developing a creative, artistic or professional portfolio; 0.7% were doing something else; 28.1% were engaged in a course of study, training or research; 63.4% were in paid work for an employer; 2.4% were running their own business; 1.4% were self-employed/freelancing; 1.1% were taking time out to travel (this does not include short-term holidays); 1.7% were unemployed and looking for work and 0.3% were in voluntary/unpaid work for an employer.
Industry Sectors
Graph 2a: Comparison of industry sector entered for postgraduates of taught courses:
Bar chart above shows the industry sectors entered taught postgraduates surveyed in the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018.
For taught postgraduates, 0.2% entered agriculture, forestry and fisheries; 4% entered mining and quarrying; 8.3% entered manufacture; 1.4% entered electric, gas and water; 1.1% entered construction; 4.2% entered wholesale and retail trade; 0.85% entered transport and storage; 0.75% entered accommodation and food services; 10.8% entered information and communications; 13.6% entered financial and insurance; 0.45% entered real estate; 21.75% entered professional, scientific and technical activities; 1.5% entered admin and support services; 2.5% entered public admin and defence; 6.05% entered education; 6.25% entered human health and social work; 1% entered arts, entertainment and recreation; 8.25% entered other services; and 7.05% were not coded.
Graph 2b: Comparison of industry sector entered for postgraduates of research courses:
Bar chart above shows the industry sectors entered research postgraduates surveyed in the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018.
For research postgraduates, 0% entered agriculture, forestry and fisheries; 1.35% entered mining and quarrying; 8.2% entered manufacture; 0.95% entered electric, gas and water; 0.6% entered construction; 0.6% entered wholesale and retail trade; 0.2% entered transport and storage; 0.2% entered accommodation and food services; 6.45% entered information and communications; 3.9% entered financial and insurance; 0.2% entered real estate; 19.1% entered professional, scientific and technical activities; 0.6% entered admin and support services; 1.35% entered public admin and defence; 32.95% entered education; 9.75% entered human health and social work; 1.15% entered arts, entertainment and recreation; 7.2% entered other services; and 5.25% were not coded.
By department (2016-17)
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
- Aeronautical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Aeronautical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
BIOENGINEERING
- Bioengineering - graphs [pdf]
- Bioengineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
BUSINESS SCHOOL
- Business School - graphs [pdf]
- Business School - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
- Chemical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Chemical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CHEMISTRY
- Chemistry - graphs [pdf]
- Chemistry - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CIVIL ENGINEERING
- Civil Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Civil Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CO-CURRICULAR STUDIES
- Co-curricular Studies - graphs [pdf]
- Co-curricular Studies - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
COMPUTING
- Computing - graphs [pdf]
- Computing - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
EARTH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
- Earth Science and Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Earth Science and Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
- Environmental Policy - graphs [pdf]
- Environmental Policy - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
LIFE SCIENCES
- Life Sciences - graphs [pdf]
- Life Sciences - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MATERIALS
- Materials - graphs [pdf]
- Materials - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MATHEMATICS
- Mathematics- graphs [pdf]
- Mathematics - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
- Mechanical Engineering without Energy Futures - graphs [pdf]
- Mechanical Engineering without Energy Futures - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MEDICINE AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
Medicine (all areas combined)
- Medicine (combined) - graphs [pdf]
- Medicine (combined) - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
PHYSICS
- Physics - graphs [pdf]
- Physics - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
Sustainable Energy Futures
- Sustainable Energy Futures - graphs [pdf]
- Sustainable Energy Futures - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
Master's by department (2017-18)
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
- Aeronautical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Aeronautical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
BIOENGINEERING
- Bioengineering - graphs [pdf]
- Bioengineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
BUSINESS SCHOOL
- Business School - graphs [pdf]
- Business School - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
- Chemical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Chemical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CIVIL ENGINEERING
- Civil Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Civil Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CO-CURRICULAR STUDIES
- Co-curricular Studies - graphs [pdf]
- Co-Curricular Studies - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
COMPUTING
- Computing - graphs [pdf]
- Computing - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
EARTH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
- Earth Science and Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Earth Science and Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
- Environmental Policy - graphs [pdf]
- Environmental Policy - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
HE RESEARCH
- HE Research - graphs [pdf]
- HE Research - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
LIFE SCIENCES
- Life Sciences - graphs [pdf]
- Life Sciences - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MATERIALS
- Materials - graphs [pdf]
- Materials - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MATHEMATICS
- Mathematics- graphs [pdf]
- Mathematics - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
- Mechanical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Mechanical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MEDICINE
- Medicine (combined) - graphs [pdf]
- Medicine (combined) - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
NATIONAL HEART AND LUNG INSTITUTE (NHLI)
- National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) - graphs [pdf]
- National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
PHYSICS
- Physics - graphs [pdf]
- Physics - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
PUBLIC HEALTH
- Public Health - graphs [pdf]
- Public Health - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
SURGERY AND CANCER
- Surgery and Cancer - graphs [pdf]
- Surgery and Cancer - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
PhDs by department (2017-18)
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
- Aeronautical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Aeronautical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
BIOENGINEERING
- Bioengineering - graphs [pdf]
- Bioengineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
BUSINESS SCHOOL
- Business School - graphs [pdf]
- Business School - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
- Chemical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Chemical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CHEMISTRY
- Chemistry - graphs [pdf]
- Chemistry - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CIVIL ENGINEERING
- Civil Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Civil Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CLINICAL SCIENCES
- Clinical Sciences - graphs [pdf]
- Clinical Sciences - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
CO-CURRICULAR STUDIES
- Co-curricular Studies - graphs [pdf]
- Co-Curricular Studies - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
COMPUTING
- Computing - graphs [pdf]
- Computing - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
EARTH SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
- Earth Science and Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Earth Science and Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
- Environmental Policy - graphs [pdf]
- Environmental Policy - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
LIFE SCIENCES
- Life Sciences - graphs [pdf]
- Life Sciences - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MATERIALS
- Materials - graphs [pdf]
- Materials - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MATHEMATICS
- Mathematics- graphs [pdf]
- Mathematics - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
- Mechanical Engineering - graphs [pdf]
- Mechanical Engineering - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
MEDICINE
- Medicine - graphs [pdf]
- Medicine - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
NATIONAL HEART AND LUNG INSTITUTE (NHLI)
- National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) - graphs [pdf]
- National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
PHYSICS
- Physics - graphs [pdf]
- Physics - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
PUBLIC HEALTH
- Public Health - graphs [pdf]
- Public Health - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]
SURGERY AND CANCER
- Surgery and Cancer - graphs [pdf]
- Surgery and Cancer - text-only tables and employment/further study destinations [pdf]