London South Bank University wins ‘University of the Year for Graduate Employment’ second year running

London South Bank University (LSBU) has this today (Friday 21 September) been named ‘University of the Year for Graduate Employment’ for an ‘unprecedented’ second year running by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.

LSBU’s award win is ‘unprecedented’, according to Alistair McCall, Editor of the Guide, as it is the first time ever that a UK university has won the award for employability twice.

LSBU wins this award, having jumped into the top four for graduate prospects nationally, with nearly 88% of graduates in professional graduate-level jobs or further study six months after graduation.

LSBU has again challenged the UK’s most prestigious higher education institutions, both on salaries and types of jobs held by graduates, with excellent starting salaries for highly skilled jobs, typically paid thousands of pounds above the national average.

LSBU has an enviable record in the graduate jobs market. Almost 7,000 students – more than one in three undergraduates – are sponsored by employers and the University has forged relationships with over 1,000 employer partners. 

Median LSBU graduate salaries start at £26,000, which is among the highest in the country.  LSBU also falls inside the UK top 20 when considering the number of graduates in professional jobs or further study six months after graduation.

Responding to the good news, David Phoenix, Vice-Chancellor of LSBU said: “I’m absolutely delighted that LSBU has been named University of the Year for Graduate Employment for the second year running, by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.

“This highlights the impact of the high quality practice- based teaching that LSBU offers.

“This approach is informed by our valued relationships with hundreds of employers, many of whom, such as TfL, Mace and Skanska, send their employees to study with us every year.

The excellent teaching they receive is underpinned by our high quality applied research, and it is in part the interaction between the two, which places the University’s graduate employment record head and shoulders above other UK universities.”

Alastair McCall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, said: “London South Bank’s success in getting its graduates into high-quality jobs is little short of phenomenal. Only one multi-faculty institution does better. The University firmly believes that higher education should translate into a good job afterwards: it has around 1,000 employer partners to help realise that ambition.

“We have never made our University of the Year for Graduate Employment award to the same institution twice, but London South Bank made an unanswerable case.”

LSBU was one of the first universities to embrace degree apprenticeships, where students divide their time between workplace training and higher education.

LSBU continues to increase the volume and breadth of its Apprenticeship offer with around 550 apprentices enrolled.  LSBU is establishing a new centre to support pathways into higher level technical education and is, with its partners, investing £12m in increasing facilities for apprenticeships.

The news comes as the University prepares to welcome prospective students for its Open Day on 10 November 2018.