Scottish Graduates Earn the Best Starting Salaries in the UK

Graduates leaving Scottish universities after completing their first degree have the best average starting salaries out of the four nations in the UK.

Those that left university in 2014-15 were on average entering into full time work with a starting salary of £22,000, which is £1,000 more than the comparable figure for English students and £2,000 above median earnings for those who went to university in Northern Ireland or Wales.

Not only do those attending Scottish universities have the highest median salary but they also have the best chance of landing a job. Data from Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that 65% of students who had just completed their studies went into a job in 2014-15, with 72% of this group being classed as in a professional career.

In total 91% of all students leaving higher education in Scotland went on to find work or enter into further study.

Only 5% of leavers in 2014-15 were unemployed, with the remaining 4% said to be engaged in other activities.

According to minister for further and higher education Shirley-Anne Somerville, "graduates are vital to the Scottish economy" and so it is "encouraging that first degree graduates from Scottish institutions are earning the highest median salaries in the UK".