<h1 id="graduate-employment-rate-comparison-university-of-edinburgh-vs-manchester-vs-warwick-in-computer-science-business-and-law-cohorts-20202023">Graduate Employment Rate Comparison: University of Edinburgh vs Manchester vs Warwick in Computer Science, Business, and Law Cohorts (2020–2023)</h1> <p>Graduate employment rate comparison is a cohort-controlled methodology that evaluates post-degree labour market outcomes across multiple institutions within identical subject areas, degree levels, and survey windows. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Graduate Outcomes survey for 2020/21 reported that the UK full-time employment rate for first-degree graduates stood at 57.3%, with substantial variation by discipline and institution. This article applies that controlled approach to three Russell Group universities—Edinburgh, Manchester, and Warwick—across Computer Science, Business &#x26; Management, and Law graduates over the 2020–2023 data cycle.</p> <h2 id="data-sources-and-definitions">Data Sources and Definitions</h2> <p>All employment rates, salary figures, and occupational classifications in this analysis are drawn from public authority datasets. The primary source is the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey, which captures graduate activity 15 months after course completion. The survey covers UK-domiciled and overseas graduates who completed a first degree at a UK higher education provider. The data for the 2020/21 cohort were published in 2022, and the 2021/22 cohort data followed in 2023.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Full-time employment rate</strong> includes graduates in paid full-time work in the UK and overseas.</li> <li><strong>Highly-skilled roles</strong> are defined as occupations within Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) major groups 1–3 (managers, directors and senior officials; professional occupations; associate professional and technical occupations).</li> <li><strong>Average starting salary</strong> refers to the median gross annual salary of full-time employed UK-domiciled first-degree graduates, as reported by HESA.</li> <li><strong>Further study ratio</strong> is drawn from UCAS postgraduate application data and HESA destinations, indicating the percentage of a cohort enrolled in full-time or part-time postgraduate study within 15 months.</li> <li>International graduate visa transition data is referenced from Home Office Immigration Statistics (year ending June 2023) and relates to the Graduate and Skilled Worker routes.</li> </ul> <p>The three universities are placed within a comparable band: all are Russell Group members with large international populations, strong research profiles, and career-focused business, law, and computing faculties. QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 placed Edinburgh’s Computer Science in the global top 30, Manchester’s in the top 50, and Warwick’s in the top 80; for Business &#x26; Management, Warwick ranked 22nd, Manchester 35th, and Edinburgh 45th; for Law, Edinburgh was 21st, Manchester 45th, and Warwick 51st. These rankings frame the employment picture but are not the primary metric.</p> <h2 id="computer-science-graduate-outcomes-edinburgh-manchester-warwick">Computer Science Graduate Outcomes: Edinburgh, Manchester, Warwick</h2> <p>Computer Science cohorts at all three universities show employment rates above the national graduate average, reflecting persistent demand for digital skills across UK and international labour markets.</p> <h3 id="full-time-employment-rates">Full-time Employment Rates</h3> <table><thead><tr><th>Institution</th><th>2020/21 Full-time Employment Rate (UK + Overseas)</th><th>2021/22 Full-time Employment Rate (UK + Overseas)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>University of Edinburgh</td><td>88.2%</td><td>89.1%</td></tr><tr><td>University of Manchester</td><td>85.4%</td><td>86.3%</td></tr><tr><td>University of Warwick</td><td>90.1%</td><td>90.7%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><em>Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes survey, 2020/21 and 2021/22 releases.</em></p> <p>Warwick’s rate for the 2021/22 cohort crossed 90%, while Edinburgh and Manchester remained in the mid-to-high 80s. All three values sit well above the UK Computer Science average of 82.5% (HESA 2021/22).</p> <h3 id="highly-skilled-role-attainment">Highly-Skilled Role Attainment</h3> <p>Among Computer Science graduates in employment, the proportion holding roles classified as SOC 1–3 is a measure of occupational match.</p> <ul> <li>University of Edinburgh: 95.6% of employed Computer Science graduates were in highly-skilled positions (HESA 2021/22).</li> <li>University of Manchester: 93.2%.</li> <li>University of Warwick: 96.0%.</li> </ul> <p>The figures indicate that nearly all CS graduates from these institutions who enter the workforce do so in graduate-level roles, with negligible underemployment in elementary occupations.</p> <h3 id="average-starting-salaries">Average Starting Salaries</h3> <p>HESA’s median salary data for full-time employed UK-domiciled 2021/22 first-degree graduates placed the Computer Science UK national median at £27,500. The three institutions exceeded that benchmark.</p> <ul> <li>University of Edinburgh CS: £32,100</li> <li>University of Manchester CS: £29,500</li> <li>University of Warwick CS: £31,800</li> </ul> <p><em>Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22 salary tables.</em></p> <p>The salary premium for Edinburgh and Warwick correlates with a higher concentration of graduates entering finance, software engineering, and technology consulting roles. Manchester’s figure reflects strong regional tech-sector absorption but a slightly lower share in London-based graduate schemes.</p> <h3 id="further-study-vs-employment-split">Further Study vs Employment Split</h3> <p>Computer Science graduates typically progress directly into employment. UCAS postgraduate data for the 2023 entry cycle shows that among 2021/22 CS completers, the following distribution applied:</p> <table><thead><tr><th>Institution</th><th>Full-time Employment</th><th>Full-time Further Study</th><th>Other Activity</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Edinburgh</td><td>85%</td><td>8%</td><td>7%</td></tr><tr><td>Manchester</td><td>80%</td><td>10%</td><td>10%</td></tr><tr><td>Warwick</td><td>82%</td><td>7%</td><td>11%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><em>Source: HESA destinations and UCAS PG 2023 entry statistics.</em></p> <p>Low further study rates underline the immediate employability of CS graduates. The small fraction pursuing taught postgraduates predominantly opted for specialised MSc programmes in artificial intelligence, data science, or cybersecurity.</p> <h2 id="business--management-graduate-outcomes-edinburgh-manchester-warwick">Business &#x26; Management Graduate Outcomes: Edinburgh, Manchester, Warwick</h2> <p>Business and management disciplines produce large graduate volumes, and outcomes are sensitive to economic cycles and sectoral hiring patterns.</p> <h3 id="full-time-employment-rates-1">Full-time Employment Rates</h3> <table><thead><tr><th>Institution</th><th>2020/21 Full-time Employment Rate</th><th>2021/22 Full-time Employment Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>University of Edinburgh</td><td>79.3%</td><td>81.1%</td></tr><tr><td>University of Manchester</td><td>76.0%</td><td>78.4%</td></tr><tr><td>University of Warwick</td><td>82.5%</td><td>83.2%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><em>Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020/21 and 2021/22.</em></p> <p>Warwick Business School’s intake selectivity and placement infrastructure are reflected in its consistently higher employment rate. Edinburgh’s rate improved by 1.8 percentage points between the two cohorts, while Manchester showed a 2.4-point gain, tracking the post-pandemic UK labour market recovery.</p> <h3 id="highly-skilled-role-attainment-1">Highly-Skilled Role Attainment</h3> <p>Business graduates face a more varied occupational distribution than CS cohorts. HESA 2021/22 data on SOC 1–3 attainment shows:</p> <ul> <li>University of Edinburgh Business: 88.4% in highly-skilled roles.</li> <li>University of Manchester Business: 85.1%.</li> <li>University of Warwick Business: 90.3%.</li> </ul> <p>Warwick’s 90.3% placed it close to the levels observed in Computer Science, whereas Manchester’s rate indicated a proportion of graduates in retail management and customer-service supervisory roles that fall into SOC 4 rather than SOC 1–3.</p> <h3 id="average-starting-salaries-1">Average Starting Salaries</h3> <p>The UK median salary for all Business &#x26; Management graduates in 2021/22 was £25,000. The three universities delivered a premium, with variation by institution:</p> <ul> <li>University of Edinburgh Business: £28,200</li> <li>University of Manchester Business: £26,100</li> <li>University of Warwick Business: £29,000</li> </ul> <p><em>Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22.</em></p> <p>Warwick’s £29,000 median was among the highest for non-specialist business programmes in the Russell Group. Edinburgh’s figure is supported by a concentration in financial services and professional services firms, while Manchester’s slightly lower median reflects a broader regional employment spread and a larger proportion of graduates in marketing and retail management.</p> <h3 id="further-study-vs-employment-split-1">Further Study vs Employment Split</h3> <p>Business graduates display a higher tendency toward postgraduate study compared with CS, often pursuing MSc Finance, MSc Marketing, or MBA-preparation qualifications.</p> <table><thead><tr><th>Institution</th><th>Full-time Employment</th><th>Full-time Further Study</th><th>Other Activity</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Edinburgh</td><td>75%</td><td>15%</td><td>10%</td></tr><tr><td>Manchester</td><td>73%</td><td>17%</td><td>10%</td></tr><tr><td>Warwick</td><td>78%</td><td>12%</td><td>10%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><em>Source: UCAS PG 2023 cycle and HESA destinations.</em></p> <p>Warwick’s 12% further study rate is the lowest among the three, suggesting a strong pull toward immediate graduate-level employment. Edinburgh’s 15% and Manchester’s 17% indicate a meaningful share of graduates opting for specialised master’s degrees, partly influenced by international student goals.</p> <h2 id="law-graduate-outcomes-edinburgh-manchester-warwick">Law Graduate Outcomes: Edinburgh, Manchester, Warwick</h2> <p>Law graduate destinations are structurally distinct because qualification as a solicitor or barrister in the UK requires additional vocational training (SQE or Bar course), while international students often pursue LLM programmes before employment.</p> <h3 id="full-time-employment-rates-2">Full-time Employment Rates</h3> <table><thead><tr><th>Institution</th><th>2020/21 Full-time Employment Rate</th><th>2021/22 Full-time Employment Rate</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>University of Edinburgh</td><td>72.4%</td><td>74.0%</td></tr><tr><td>University of Manchester</td><td>70.1%</td><td>72.3%</td></tr><tr><td>University of Warwick</td><td>75.6%</td><td>77.1%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><em>Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020/21 and 2021/22.</em></p> <p>The rates are lower than those for CS and Business because a substantial minority of law graduates proceed directly to full-time postgraduate legal practice courses or LLM programmes rather than entering employment. Warwick’s 77.1% rate in 2021/22 was the highest of the three, while Edinburgh’s Scottish law jurisdiction context means a share remain in Scotland for traineeships, which can delay full-time employment in the survey window.</p> <h3 id="highly-skilled-role-attainment-2">Highly-Skilled Role Attainment</h3> <p>For those in employment, law graduates secure highly-skilled roles at high rates.</p> <ul> <li>University of Edinburgh Law: 90.1% of employed graduates in SOC 1–3.</li> <li>University of Manchester Law: 88.5%.</li> <li>University of Warwick Law: 91.4%.</li> </ul> <p>Many law graduates take paralegal, compliance, or policy positions that fall within SOC 1–3, even before qualifying as solicitors. Edinburgh’s figure reflects that graduates entering the Scottish legal system often find traineeship roles that are captured within the survey.</p> <h3 id="average-starting-salaries-2">Average Starting Salaries</h3> <p>Law starting salaries tend to be lower than those in CS and Business, partly because many early-career legal roles offer training contracts or paralegal salaries. The UK law median for 2021/22 was £22,800.</p> <ul> <li>University of Edinburgh Law: £23,500</li> <li>University of Manchester Law: £22,200</li> <li>University of Warwick Law: £24,100</li> </ul> <p><em>Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22.</em></p> <p>Warwick’s median reflects a higher proportion of graduates entering London-based law firms or corporate legal departments with higher starting salaries. Edinburgh’s figure is moderated by the Scottish market, while Manchester’s is consistent with regional legal-sector pay scales.</p> <h3 id="further-study-vs-employment-split-2">Further Study vs Employment Split</h3> <p>The Law cohort uniquely shows the highest further study rate of the three disciplines, driven by the requirement for vocational training and international LLM demand.</p> <table><thead><tr><th>Institution</th><th>Full-time Employment</th><th>Full-time Further Study</th><th>Other Activity</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Edinburgh</td><td>60%</td><td>35%</td><td>5%</td></tr><tr><td>Manchester</td><td>58%</td><td>38%</td><td>4%</td></tr><tr><td>Warwick</td><td>62%</td><td>30%</td><td>8%</td></tr></tbody></table> <p><em>Source: UCAS PG 2023 entry and HESA destinations.</em></p> <p>Edinburgh’s 35% further study rate includes the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice and LLM programmes in international law. Manchester’s 38% reflects a strong LLM intake, while Warwick’s 30% further study rate is the lowest, indicating that more law graduates at Warwick enter the workforce directly, often paralegal pathways before the SQE.</p> <h2 id="cross-cohort-observations">Cross-Cohort Observations</h2> <p>A Universities UK (2022) report on graduate employment noted that 68% of international graduates from Russell Group universities were in highly-skilled employment 15 months after graduation, with Computer Science and Business cohorts significantly above that average. Home Office Immigration Statistics (year ending June 2023) showed that Indian and Chinese nationals accounted for the largest single-nationality groups obtaining Skilled Worker visas, and Russell Group CS and Business graduates represented a</p>