EMILIANA CLARK
The Good Universities Guide Institution released the 2017/2018 rating and rankings late last month, rating Australian universities on graduate employment, student support, staff qualification, and more.
Graduate employment ratings released show that several universities have ranked below the national average of 69.5 percent, with Charles Sturt University leading at 83.9 percent.
Good Universities Guide Editor Aaron Matthews said overall no university could be considered the best or worst as no university is good or bad at everything.
“A common trend was that the universities who achieved strong graduate outcomes were often lower in the ratings in the student experience measures, and vice versa,” Mr Matthews said.
“The main theme we’ve noticed while analysing the data is that Australian universities across the board are providing an excellent student experience, however the changing job market often makes it difficult for graduates to find work in the months immediately after finishing studies.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Training said the department funds research on graduate employment outcomes through the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), and that is where the Good Universities Guide finds the data.
“The Australian Government believes that all higher education providers must ensure students are capable and prepared for the workforce once they graduate from university,” the spokesperson said.
Griffith University received the worst graduate employment rating in Queensland and came in below the national average, at 63.9 percent.
Griffith’s media manager Ben Dobson states that the university scores well in other categories.
“[The report] shows Griffith accorded the maximum five star results in the measures of Overall Experience, Skills Development, Student Support, Learning Resources, and Staff Qualification,” Mr Dobson said.
“The rating report also highlights how much Griffith offers a consistently excellent student experience, achieving at least five stars for 18 different fields of study.”