Oxford graduates come out on top
OXFORD HAS BEATEN Cambridge yet again, this time in a contest that matters in the 'real' world. The typical Oxford graduate who secures a job over the summer should expect to rake in £19,800 whilst their contemporaries at the North Fens Poly who have to make do with a paltry £19,200.
A much greater gulf lies between Oxbridge and the so-called red-brick universities. A student leaving York should not be surprised to take home less than £16,000 after they have graduated, despite the fact that York is in the top-ten of the country's universities.
The figures have been taken from a report conducted by the High Fliers Recruitment Consultancy. The director of the survey, Martin Birchall, said that although salaries from Oxford and Cambridge were particularly high, outstanding candidates from all institutions could expect to be well rewarded. "There is an awful lot of competition between the top employers for the best graduates." He added "Half of graduates who are actively searching for work now expect to start on £20,000 or more."
Mr Birchall said the main reason that Oxford and Cambridge graduates earned more was simply their choice of career. A relatively large proportion went into highly-paid professions such as investment banking and computing whilst fewer went into less well-paid areas, such as the public sector and retailing.
Oxbridge graduates continue to earn more than their peers throughout their working lives. Just five years on, the report suggests that an Oxford student will be making £10,000 more than someone who studied at Cardiff. Nevertheless the last laugh is on graduates from Imperial College in London. They are top of the roost with average earnings of at least £40,700.
8th Jun 2000