The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) survey, funded by the Australian Department of Education, released its 2024 graduate employment report for international students in Australia last month. The survey measures employment outcomes for graduates approximately four to six months after program completion.
Nearly 30,500 international students and over 110 institutions responded to the survey. The data is categorized across three levels: undergraduate, postgraduate coursework, and postgraduate research.
According to the findings, health and medical fields consistently account for at least three of the five fields with the highest employment rates. This marks a shift from last year, when engineering and science disciplines were also prominent in this group.
For undergraduate international students, the top 5 fields of study based on full-time employment rates four to six months after graduation are:
| No. | Field | Employment rate after 4-6 months (%) | Average salary (AUD/year) |
| 1 | Dentistry | 93,3 | - |
| 2 | Pharmacy | 90,8 | 57.800 |
| 3 | Medicine | 88,7 | 83.300 |
| 4 | Veterinary science | 81,4 | 72.500 |
| 5 | Teacher education | 80,9 | 77.000 |
At the postgraduate coursework level, the medical field continues to dominate with the highest employment rates:
| No. | Field | Employment rate after 4-6 months (%) | Average salary (AUD/year) |
| 1 | Medicine | 89,9 | 87.700 |
| 2 | Rehabilitation | 89,9 | 74.300 |
| 3 | Veterinary science | 74,3 | - |
| 4 | Pharmacy | 70,4 | - |
| 5 | Law and paralegal studies | 69,8 | 70.200 |
For postgraduate research, the top 5 fields for employment include science and mathematics, though health-related fields still constitute the majority:
| No. | Field | Employment rate after 4-6 months (%) | Average salary (AUD/year) |
| 1 | Law and paralegal studies | 88 | - |
| 2 | Psychology | 87,8 | - |
| 3 | Health services and support | 85 | 100.000 |
| 4 | Medicine | 81,3 | 95.000 |
| 5 | Science and mathematics | 80,6 | 92.600 |
Conversely, students in communication and creative arts programs experienced the lowest employment rates four to six months after graduating at the undergraduate level, ranging from 32% to 38%. The career prospects for this field are similar at the postgraduate level.
While teacher education ranks as the fifth most promising field for undergraduate international students, it presents the most significant employment challenge for those pursuing postgraduate research. Only 60% of this group secured employment within six months of graduation.
As of September, approximately 822,000 international students reside in Australia, according to data from the country's Department of Education. Vietnamese students constitute the fourth largest group, with over 36,000 individuals, a 4% decrease from last year.
QILT reports that the average salary for international graduates ranges from 68,000 to 95,600 AUD per year (1,16-1,6 billion VND). For Vietnamese students specifically, this figure is between 63,700 and 97,800 AUD.
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Students at the University of Sydney, Australia. Photo: University of Sydney Fanpage |
Khanh Linh
