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The Effect of University Attended on Graduates' Labour Market Prospects: A Field Study of Great Britain

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  • Drydakis, Nick

    (Anglia Ruskin University)

Abstract

Utilizing data for comparable BSc graduates in economics who have studied in different universities that had set the same entry standards, we compare job seekers' employment prospects when they search by themselves for jobs by submitting CVs to the same firms. The outcomes suggest that graduates who studied in universities that are ranked in better positions, based on the UK league tables, gain more invitations to interviews (access to vacancies) and higher entry-level annual salaries than those who studied in universities that are ranked in lower positions. To clarify the assigned pattern, we utilized further qualitative indicators, and we estimated that both membership of a scholarly group of universities and universities' research intensity can positively affect their graduates' invitations to interviews and entry-level annual salaries. Interestingly, by assessing the influence of degree grades, the study suggested also that applicants' degree grades can moderate the relation between university attended and employment prospects.

Suggested Citation

  • Drydakis, Nick, 2016. "The Effect of University Attended on Graduates' Labour Market Prospects: A Field Study of Great Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 9826, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp9826
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    Cited by:

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    2. Stijn Baert & Dieter Verhaest, 2021. "Work Hard or Play Hard? Degree Class, Student Leadership and Employment Opportunities," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 83(4), pages 1024-1047, August.
    3. Baert, Stijn & Picchio, Matteo, 2021. "A signal of (Train)ability? Grade repetition and hiring chances," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 188(C), pages 867-878.
    4. Baert, By Stijn & Neyt, Brecht & Siedler, Thomas & Tobback, Ilse & Verhaest, Dieter, 2021. "Student internships and employment opportunities after graduation: A field experiment," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Drydakis, Nick, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence Capital and Employment Prospects," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1408, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    6. Ricardo Nogales & Pamela Córdova & Manuel Urquidi, 2020. "The impact of university reputation on employment opportunities: Experimental evidence from Bolivia," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 31(4), pages 524-542, December.
    7. Cong Cao & Tianlan Wei & Shengyuan Xu & Fan Su & Haiquan Fang, 2023. "Comprehensive evaluation of higher education systems using indicators: PCA and EWM methods," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    8. Drydakis, Nick, 2024. "Artificial Intelligence Capital and Employment Prospects," IZA Discussion Papers 16866, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Juan Martín-Miguel & Camio Prado-Román & Gabriel Cachón-Rodríguez & Lilliana L. Avendaño-Miranda, 2020. "Determinants of Reputation at Private Graduate Online Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    10. Abdelhak Senadjki & Samuel Ogbeibu & Chee Yin Yip & Hui Nee Au Yong & Mourad Senadjki, 2021. "The impact of corruption and university education on African innovation: evidence from emerging African economies," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(5), pages 1-26, May.
    11. Giovanni Schettino & Leda Marino & Vincenza Capone, 2022. "The Impact of University-Related Variables on Students’ Perceived Employability and Mental Well-Being: An Italian Longitudinal Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-15, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    entry-level annual salaries; university; ranking; reputation; access to vacancies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education

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