Graduate Outcomes is the biggest UK annual social survey which is sent to all graduates, capturing their perspectives and current status, 15 months after they have completed a course.
Who will need to take the survey?
Participation in the Graduate Outcomes survey is a statutory requirement for all higher education providers and most university graduates are required to participate.
Anyone who graduates after the 1st August 2017 will be asked to complete the survey. To ensure consistency and accuracy across all universities, all eligible students will be contacted.
This includes those who have continued to study a postgraduate course with us, if you are still studying 15 months after completing your previous studies.
Your response to this survey is very important as it will:
- Provide our current and prospective students with information about employment and further study undertaken by previous students.
- Help our employability team to provide careers advice, guidance and support to existing students and alumni.
- Allow higher education providers, policy makers and researchers to understand graduate entry into the labour market and graduates’ perceptions of higher education on a national scale.
When and how will I be surveyed?
If you’re eligible, you will be contacted approximately 15 months after your course finishes – although we may contact you in the meantime to remind you of the survey.
During the survey period, you will receive an email inviting you to complete the survey online or you may be asked to complete the survey over the phone.
If you are not contactable, the organisation running the survey may seek the information from a third party, such as a family member.
Who runs the survey?
The Graduate Outcomes survey is owned by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) which is the higher education sector’s designated data body (in accordance with the Higher Education & Research Act 2017). HESA is an independent charity, which has been collecting and publishing information data about the higher education sector since a survey of graduates in 1994/95.
The administration of the Graduate Outcomes survey is undertaken by a third-party survey contractor who works in collaboration with HESA and universities.
Data Protection
We are required, by law, to provide contact details to HESA for the purposes of conducting the Graduate Outcomes survey.
You can find more information on how we handle your data in our Privacy Policy.
Find information on how HESA uses your information on their comprehensive collection notices page.
Update your contact details
To participate in the survey we need your up-to-date contact details, especially a current email address and phone number.
To update your details either:
- Use the ‘Update My Details’ form on ELITE. Once logged in, go to Student Support, then Information and finally, Update My Details.
- Update directly via our registration website.
- Or contact the employability team at [email protected].
What if I don’t want to participate in the survey?
It is not compulsory to complete the survey but we cannot exclude you from the survey population. When you are contacted by HESA, you will be able to opt out and you will not be contacted again.