Healthy jobs boost

More than 80 per cent of students who graduated in 2004-05 in medicine and dentistry, subjects allied to medicine, veterinary science and education, found employment, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The highest proportions of graduates going on to further study were in law, at more than 50 per cent, and mathematical sciences, physical sciences and historical and philosophical studies, all above 30 per cent.

Computer science had the highest unemployment rate among graduates, at just under 11 per cent; and rates for creative arts and design, and for engineering and technology were both above 8 per cent. Just under three quarters of the total 258,420 full-time leavers who completed Hesa's Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey were employed.