Vocational degrees in medicine, engineering, nursing and teaching continue to take the lead in initial graduate income outcomes, according to a new report released today.
The report, published on , is based on Australian Taxation Office data making it a more accurate and detailed source of information than previous survey-based reports. The report is based on the latest available graduate incomes data, which is for the 2017-18 financial year, and tracks the 2007 cohort of graduates over time one year and nine years following completion of their studies.
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said the new report gives future students additional information to inform their choice of course of study and institution.
“Giving students better information on likely future incomes will help them make informed decisions about their study options,” Minister Tudge said.
“The new report helps students make informed decisions into income outcomes one, five and nine years after students graduate, as well as breakdowns across 73 fields of study and by institution. This is a very helpful report for students to plan their futures.”
A year after completing their studies, the 2016 graduate cohorts with the highest median incomes include Medicine ($84,000), Dentistry ($78,300), Teacher education ($65,600), Civil Engineering ($64,200) and Nursing ($62,100) one year after completing their studies.
Nine years after graduation (2018), courses with a heavy STEM emphasis become more prominent, such as Maritime engineering and technology ($144,000), Building ($125,000), Process and resource engineering ($112,200), and Automotive engineering and technology ($110,300).
Universities with the highest median incomes for graduates nine years after graduation were:
- the University of Western Australia ($88,900)
- the University of New South Wales ($88,200)
- the Australian ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ University ($86,400)
- the University of Technology, Sydney ($85,400)
- and the University of Queensland ($83,400).
The new data reinforces the Government’s Job-ready Graduates reforms, which reduces student fees in priority areas like engineering, teaching and nursing, encouraging students to enrol in fields with strong employment and income prospects.
