The financial services industry continues to be the main recruiter of university graduates into professional employment, according to a new ranking from the Complete University Guide.
For the second year running, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) heads the table of employers recruiting from the 2013-14 cohort of graduates, with last year’s runner-up, pharmaceutical and retail giant Boots, still in second place.
PwC increased its intake to about 530 graduates, up from about 370 last year.
Three other financial services companies dominate the top of the table: Deloitte in third place with 320 graduates, KPMG in fourth with 235, and Ernst & Young in joint fifth (tied with Specsavers), recruiting 230.
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However, the data reveal regional differences in the top recruiters of graduates. In the North East, 10 of the 17 recruiters of 10 or more graduates are in the public sector, and, of these, seven are local councils. In Wales, the biggest recruiter is Aberystwyth University, with 25 posts, followed by Cardiff University and Cardiff City Council (15 posts) in joint second place.
The analysis was based on data from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa). The Complete University Guide excluded graduate start-up businesses and companies with fewer than four graduate recruits. Doctors, dentists and nurses were also excluded as they normally seek employment within the NHS.
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Complete University Guide: Top graduate recruiters across the UK
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
530 |
| 2 |
Boots |
365 |
| 3 |
Deloitte |
320 |
| 4 |
KPMG |
235 |
| =5 |
Ernst & Young |
230 |
| =5 |
Specsavers |
230 |
Complete University Guide: Top graduate recruiters by region
East Midlands
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
Rolls-Royce |
105 |
| 2 |
Boots |
55 |
| 3 |
Royal Air Force |
30 |
| 4 |
De Montfort University |
25 |
| 5 |
Nottinghamshire County Council |
20 |
East of England
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
Tesco |
55 |
| 2 |
Ford |
50 |
| 3 |
Essex County Council |
40 |
| 4 |
BT |
30 |
| =5 |
Boots |
25 |
| =5 |
GlaxoSmithKline |
25 |
| =5 |
Specsavers |
25 |
| =5 |
Suffolk County Council |
25 |
London
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
210 |
| 2 |
Metropolitan Police |
160 |
| 3 |
Deloitte |
135 |
| 4 |
Ernst & Young |
120 |
| 5 |
KPMG |
95 |
North East
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
Hewlett-Packard |
20 |
| =2 |
Boots |
15 |
| =2 |
Durham County Council |
15 |
| =4 |
Accenture |
10 |
| =4 |
Aecom |
10 |
| =4 |
Darlington Borough Council |
10 |
| =4 |
Durham University |
10 |
| =4 |
Gateshead Council |
10 |
| =4 |
Hartlepool Borough Council |
10 |
| =4 |
Middlesborough Council |
10 |
| =4 |
Newcastle University |
10 |
| =4 |
Northumberland County Council |
10 |
| =4 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
10 |
| =4 |
Proctor & Gamble |
10 |
| =4 |
Sunderland City Council |
10 |
| =4 |
Teach First |
10 |
| =4 |
University of Sunderland |
10 |
North West
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| =1 |
BAE Systems |
45 |
| =1 |
Lancashire County Council |
45 |
| 3 |
Boots |
40 |
| 4 |
Liverpool Hope University |
30 |
| =5 |
BBC |
25 |
| =5 |
Deloitte |
25 |
| =5 |
Enterprise |
25 |
Northern Ireland
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
50 |
| =2 |
Citi |
20 |
| =2 |
Gordons Chemist |
20 |
| =4 |
Allstate |
15 |
| =4 |
Clear Pharmacy |
15 |
| =4 |
Deloitte |
15 |
| =4 |
Kainos |
15 |
| =4 |
Medicare |
15 |
| =4 |
Randox Laboratories |
15 |
Scotland
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| =1 |
Fife Council |
40 |
| =1 |
Police Scotland |
40 |
| =1 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
40 |
| =4 |
Boots |
30 |
| =4 |
City of Edinburgh Council |
30 |
| =4 |
Specsavers |
30 |
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South East
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
British Army |
95 |
| 2 |
Hampshire County Council |
50 |
| 3 |
BAE Systems |
45 |
| =4 |
Boots |
40 |
| =4 |
Kent County Council |
40 |
South West
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
Babcock |
40 |
| 2 |
Ministry of Defence |
35 |
| =3 |
Renishaw |
30 |
| =3 |
Rolls-Royce |
30 |
| =3 |
Royal Navy |
30 |
| =3 |
Specsavers |
30 |
Wales
West Midlands
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| 1 |
Jaguar Land Rover |
175 |
| 2 |
Birmingham City Council |
50 |
| 3 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
30 |
| =4 |
Boots |
25 |
| =4 |
Deloitte |
25 |
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Yorkshire & The Humber
| Rank |
Employer |
Graduate-level posts |
| =1 |
Boots |
35 |
| =1 |
Leeds City Council |
35 |
| 3 |
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) |
30 |
| =4 |
Covance |
25 |
| =4 |
Lloyds Banking Group |
25 |
| =4 |
Sheffield City Council |
25 |
ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com
