The relevance of degree programmes to the labour market is a key topic on the education policy agenda. The Ministry’s graduate survey therefore sheds light on the above theme by asking:

• Whether graduates feel that their degree has prepared them for their jobs
• Whether the graduates feel that what they learned on their degree programme matches the competencies that their employer is looking for?
• Whether there is a connection between the competencies acquired through their degree programme and the competencies they are applying in their jobs

Main results:

“My degree has prepared me for my current or most recent job”

• Most respondents answered that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that their degree has prepared them for their job (MA: 73%; PBA: 84%). This is roughly on par with surveys conducted in recent years (MA: 75% in 2021, 77% in 2020, 77% in 2018; PBA: 83% in 2021, 81% in 2020, 85% in 2018).
• There are differences across the faculties, with 67% of Master’s degree respondents from AR, 76% from Aarhus BSS, 81% from HE, 76% from NAT and 74% from TECH stating that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that the programme has prepared them for their job. 

“There is a match between what I learnt on my degree programme and the skills required by my current/last employer”

• 65% of respondents ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that there is a match between competencies acquired during their studies and competencies used in their jobs (KA: 64%; PBA: 75%), which is on par with graduate surveys in recent years (MA: 64% in 2021, 63% in 2020 and 64% in 2018; PBA: 73% in 2021, 74% in 2020 and 69% in 2018).
• There are differences across the faculties, with 56% of Master’s degree respondents from AR, 66% from Aarhus BSS, 73% from HE, 66% from NAT and 72% from TECH stating that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that there is a match between what they learnt during their studies and the competencies required by their current/last employer.

“Which competencies acquired on your degree programme do you use in your current/last job?” (1st priorities)

• Respondents are asked to rank up to five competencies from a predefined list based on the question: “Which competencies acquired on your degree programme do you use in your current/last job?” The competencies that most respondents from each faculty have indicated as their 1st priority in the survey are the following (and largely unchanged from 2018):
  • AR (MA): Communication skills
  • Aarhus BSS (MA): Analytical skills
  • HE (MA): Application of theory and methodology in my field of expertise
  • NAT (MA): Acquisition of new knowledge
  • TECH (MA): Acquisition of new knowledge
  • PBA: Acquisition of new knowledge

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The transition of graduates to the labour market is a constant focus in education policy-making. The Danish Student Survey for graduates therefore sheds light on the above theme by asking:

• How they found their first job
• What elements have been most important for their employment
• Whether the educational institution focused on job hunting and job opportunities towards the end of the programme (2021 and 2023 only)
• Thoughts about job and career before, during and after their studies (2020 and 2023 only, AU add-on)
• When graduates started looking for jobs (2021 and 2023 only)
• Whether the transition to the labour market has been difficult (2021 and 2023 only)
• About possible reasons why the transition has been difficult (2021 and 2023 only)

Main results:

• For almost half of respondents in 2023, the path to their first job was via a job ad (49%). This is similar to previous years (48% in 2021, 46% in 2020 and 48% in 2018). Over time, there is generally a high degree of consistency in how graduates found their first job. There are variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with 57% of Master’s degree respondents from Aarhus BSS having found a job via a job ad, while the corresponding figure is 38% for professional Bachelor’s degrees.
• When it comes to elements of importance for employment, most respondents state that “I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job” (27% tick this element as their first priority in 2023). “The competencies acquired during my studies” is ranked most highly by the second-highest number of respondents (21% in 2023). This is largely unchanged since 2018, although more respondents than before ticked “The competencies acquired during my studies” as their first priority in 2023 (16-17% in previous years). There are variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with the second highest number of Master’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS identifying “Student job” as the element that is most important for their employment (Aarhus BSS: 24%; AU: 15%).
• 26% say there was a focus on job hunting and job opportunities towards the end of their degree programme. This is similar to the figure for 2021. There are variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with the perceived focus on job hunting and job opportunities towards the end of the programme being most pronounced among Master’s degree graduates from AR and Professional Bachelor’s degree graduates (both 30%), while the lowest percentages are seen at HE (18%) and TECH (21%).
• An increasing proportion of respondents were thinking about jobs and their career during the time leading up to their graduation and after their graduation. One third of the respondents stated that they thought about jobs and their career to a very high or high degree before starting their degree programme. More than half did so to a very high or high degree during their studies, 76% immediately before graduation and 79% immediately after graduation. There are certain variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with a higher proportion of Master’s degree graduates from AR (37%) and HE (36%) thinking about jobs and their career to a very high or high degree before starting their degree programme compared to other graduates.
• Almost half (46%) of respondents started looking for jobs before finishing their degree. This is similar to the figure for 2020.  Similarly, 24% of respondents started looking for a job as soon as they finished their degree, and around one in five more than three months after graduating. There is a relatively consistent pattern in when Master’s degree graduates from the different faculties and professional Bachelor’s degree programmes started looking for jobs. However, a higher proportion of Aarhus BSS Master’s degree graduates started looking for a job before graduating (59%) compared to other respondents.
• 40% consider the transition to the labour market to be difficult. This is fairly similar to the figure from 2021 (43%). There are variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with 41% of Master’s degree graduates stating that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that the transition from university to the labour market was difficult, while this is only the case for 32% of Professional Bachelor’s degree graduates.
• The most frequently cited reasons for a difficult transition to the labour market are ‘My job is very demanding’ (32%) and ‘I had difficulty communicating my skills to potential employers’ (31%). While the trend is for ‘My job is very demanding’ to be cited more frequently (26% in 2021 and 32% in 2023), the opposite is true for ‘I found it difficult to communicate my skills to potential employers’ (36% in 2021 and 31% in 2023). There are variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with the communication of competencies to potential employers being mentioned most often by Master’s degree respondents from AR (45%), while a demanding job is mentioned most often among Master’s degree respondents from Aarhus BSS (76%) and TECH (36%). The professional Bachelor’s degree programmes have the highest share of respondents stating that they missed the social aspects of student life (29% for PBA, 21% for AU overall).

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From 2021 onwards, the Danish Student Survey has focused on graduates wishing they had chosen a different programme. The survey therefore sheds lights on this theme by asking:

• Whether they would choose a different programme or place of study if given the chance (2021 and 2023 only)
• How they would choose differently (2021 and 2023 only)
• Reasons for choosing differently (2021 and 2023 only)

Main results:

‘Given the chance, I would choose a different programme or place of study’ (2021 and 2023 only)

• Only 17% of respondents ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study if they could choose again (MA 17%, PBA 17%). 65% of respondents ‘Disagree’ or ‘Strongly disagree’, while 18% ticked ‘Neither agree nor disagree’.
• Some variation is seen between faculties. 21% of AR Master’s degree graduates ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study if they could choose again. This applies to 16% of Master’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS, 14% of Master’s degree graduates from HE and TECH and 12% of Master’s degree graduates from NAT.

‘If I could choose again, I would choose’ (2021 and 2023 only)

• Respondents who ticked ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study (17%) were asked to indicate different options (multiple answers possible):
  • A completely different field of study (51%)
  • A different degree programme within the same field (47%)
  • A different educational institution (19%)
  • Other city (9%)
  • Other (7%)
• Variation is seen between faculties and programme types (note that very few professional Bachelor’s degree graduates answered the question). While 59% and 55% of Master’s degree respondents from NAT and TECH would choose a different programme within the same field of study, 61% and 67% of Master’s degree respondents from AR and HE would choose a different field of study, respectively.

‘What do you think are the main reasons why you would choose differently?’ (2021 and 2023 only)

• Respondents who ‘Strongly agreed’ or ‘Agreed’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study (17%) were asked to indicate the most common reasons from the following options:
  • The degree programme’s career prospects for me (54%)
  • My interests have changed (36%)
  • The content of the degree programme did not meet my expectations (28%)
  • The quality of the degree programme was not high enough (17%)
  • The social study environment was poor (15%)
  • Personal circumstances (10%)
  • Other (10%)
• Differences are seen between faculties and degree programme types. For the Master’s degree respondents from Aarhus BSS, a change in interests is the most frequently cited reason for their desire to change (48%), while for Master’s degree respondents from AR (74%), HE (58%), NAT (50%) and TECH (35%), career prospects are the most frequently cited reason for wishing they had chosen a different programme. For professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, the main reasons for wishing they had chosen a different programme are the content of the programme compared to what was expected (42%) and a change in interests (50%).

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The relevance of degree programmes to the labour market is a key topic on the education policy agenda. The Danish Student Survey for graduates therefore sheds light on the above theme by asking:

• Whether graduates feel that their degree has prepared them for their jobs
• Whether the graduates feel that what they learned on their degree programme matches the competencies that their employer is looking for?
• Whether there is a connection between the competencies acquired through their degree programme and the competencies they are applying in their jobs

Main results:

“My degree has prepared me for my current or most recent job”:

• Most respondents answered that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that their degree has prepared them for their job (MA: 75%; PBA: 82%). This is on par with 2018 and 2020, but a few percentage points lower for Master’s degree graduates than in 2020 (MA: 77%; PBA: 81%) and 2018 (MA: 77%; PBA: 85%). 
• Differences are seen across faculties and programme types. While 68% of Master’s degree graduates from AR and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates from HE ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’, this applies to 76-77% of respondents from Aarhus BSS, 82% of Master’s degree graduates from NAT and TECH, 84% of Master’s degree graduates from HE and 85% of professional Bachelor’s degree graduates from TECH.

“There is a match between what I learnt on my degree programme and the skills required by my current/last employer”

• More than half of the respondents said that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that there is a match between skills acquired from the programme and skills used in their job (MA: 63%; PBA: 73%), which is on par with 2020 (MA: 64%; PBA: 74%) and 2018 (MA: 63%; PBA: 70%).
• Differences are observed across faculties and programme types. While 54% of Master’s degree graduates from AR ‘Strongly Agree’ or ‘Agree’, this is true for 62% of professional Bachelor’s degree graduates from HE, 63% of Master’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS, 69% of Master’s degree graduates from NAT, 71% of Professional Bachelor’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS, 74-75% of TECH respondents and 79% of Master’s degree graduates from HE.

“Which competencies acquired on your degree programme do you use in your current/most recent job?”

Respondents are asked to rank up to five competencies from a predefined list based on the question: “Which competencies acquired on your degree programme do you use in your current/last job?” The competency ranked most highly by most respondents from the various faculties is the following (and largely unchanged from 2020):

• AR (MA): Communication skills
• Aarhus BSS (MA): Analytical skills
• HE (MA): Application of theory and methodology in my field of expertise
• NAT (MA): Acquisition of new knowledge
• TECH (MA): Acquisition of new knowledge
• PBA: Technical skills and Acquisition of new knowledge

The transition of graduates to the labour market is a constant focus in education policy-making. The Danish Student Survey for graduates therefore sheds light on the above theme by asking:

• How they found their first job.
• What elements have been most important for their employment.
• When graduates started looking for jobs (new 2021)
• Whether the educational institution focused on job hunting and job opportunities towards the end of the programme (new 2021)
• Whether the transition to the labour market has been difficult (new 2021)
• Possible reasons why the transition has been difficult (new 2021)

Main results:

‘How did you find your first job after further education and training?’

• In 2021, 48% of respondents found their first job from a job ad. 20% stayed on with the employer where they had had a student job, written an assignment/project/thesis or done an internship.
• The figures are generally stable from 2018 (48%) and 2020 (46%). However, in 2021 more respondents are still in jobs with employers where they had student jobs than in 2020, while in 2021 fewer respondents are still in jobs where they have written an assignment/project/thesis or done an internship than in 2020.
• Differences are observed across faculties and programme types. 44-49% of Master’s degree graduates from TECH, AR and NAT found their first job through a job advert, while this is true of 59% of Master’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS and only 28% of Master’s degree graduates from HE. The same is true for 34% of the professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, although for a smaller proportion of professional Bachelor’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS (24%). Master’s degree graduates from HE stand out as 44% of HE respondents answered ‘Other’, which may be due to the fact that medical graduates are automatically assigned their first basic clinical training position immediately after graduation.

‘Which elements, in your studies and in your free time, do you think have been most important for your employment?

• Most respondents rank ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’ most highly from among the predefined elements that are important for their employment. ‘The competencies acquired during my studies’ is ranked most highly by the second-highest number of respondents from AU. This is largely unchanged from 2018 and 2020.
• Variation is observed between Master’s degree graduates across faculties and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates, with the following showing the element(s) that most respondents at each faculty ranked most highly in the survey:
  • AR (MA): Equal distribution between ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’, ‘The competencies acquired during my studies’, ‘Student job’ and ‘Internship’
  • Aarhus BSS (MA): ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’ closely followed by ‘Student job’
  • HE (MA): ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’
  • NAT (MA): ‘The competencies acquired during my studies’
  • TECH (MA): ‘The competencies acquired during my studies’ closely followed by ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’
  • PBA: ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’

‘I found that at my educational institution there was a focus on job hunting and job opportunities towards the end of my degree programme’ (new 2021)

• 26% of respondents ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that their educational institution focused on job hunting and job opportunities towards the end of their programme, while about half of respondents ticked ‘Strongly disagree’ or ‘Disagree’.
• There is a difference between ‘Strongly Agree’ and ‘Agree’ among Master’s degree graduates (26%) and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates (36%). Some variation is also seen across the faculties. While 26–27% of Master’s degree graduates from HE, AR and Aarhus BSS ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’, this is only true for 17–18% of Master’s degree graduates from NAT and TECH.

‘When did you start looking for jobs?’ (new 2021)

• Most respondents started looking for jobs before or as soon as they finished their degree, with 46% answering before graduation and 26% answering upon graduation, respectively. Another 9% said they started looking for a job within a month of finishing their degree. 10% of respondents have not been looking for a job, but most of them have or have had a job. Only 2% of respondents answered ‘Don’t know’.
• Master’s degree graduates from HE stand out in particular, with 9% of respondents answering ‘Don't know’ and 22% answering ‘I have not been looking for a job’. This may be due to the fact that new medical graduates are automatically assigned their first basic clinical training position immediately after graduation.
• In 2020, a similar supplementary question was included for AU graduates. Respondents had the option of answering that they were offered a job without actively looking for a job, which was the case for 19% of respondents. Therefore, the other results are not fully comparable to 2020. Notwithstanding this, in 2020, the majority also said they were actively looking for a job before finishing their degree (38%) or immediately after the end of their studies (35%).

‘The transition to the labour market was difficult’ (new 2021)

• 43% of respondents ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that the transition to the labour market was difficult, 19% ticked ‘Neither agree nor disagree’, while 37% ticked ‘Disagree’ or ‘Strongly disagree’.
• Differences are seen between Master’s degree and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates as well as across faculties. 53% of AR respondents ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’, while this is true of 49% of Master’s degree graduates from HE and 33–38% of Master’s degree graduates from TECH, Aarhus BSS and NAT and 31% of professional Bachelor’s degree graduates.

‘What were the main reasons why your transition to the labour market was difficult? You can tick up to three answers.’ (only asked for ‘Strongly Agree’/‘Agree’ answers when asked if the transition was difficult) (new 2021)

• Respondents who ticked ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that the transition to the labour market was difficult (43%) were asked to indicate the reasons for this from a list of 11 different options.
  • 36% of these responded ‘I found it difficult to communicate my skills to potential employers’.
  • 28% ‘had a hard time figuring out which jobs I could apply for’.
  • 26% answered ‘My job is very demanding’ and ‘I found few or no jobs that matched my degree’, respectively.
  • 25% answered ‘I lack some competencies in order to be able to do my job the way I would like to’.
  • Only 10% answered ‘The jobs matching my degree were mainly elsewhere in the country’.
• Variations are seen in the most frequently cited reasons across faculties and programme types. The most frequently cited reason by faculty is the following:
  • AR (MA): ‘I found it difficult to communicate my skills to potential employers’ (51%)
  • Aarhus BSS (MA): ‘I lack some competencies in order to be able to do my job as I would like to' (32%)
  • HE (MA): ‘My job is very demanding’ (71%)

In 2021, the Danish Student Survey for graduates focused on graduates wishing they had chosen a different programme. The survey therefore sheds lights on this theme by asking:

• Whether they would choose a different programme or place of study if they had the chance.
• How they would choose differently.
• The reasons for choosing differently.

Main results:

‘Given the option, I would choose a different programme or place of study’

• Only 17% of respondents ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study if given the chance to choose again (MA 18%, PBA 13%). 62% of respondents ‘Disagree’ or ‘Strongly disagree’, while 18% ticked ‘Neither agree nor disagree’, and 3% ticked ‘Don’t know/not applicable’.
• By comparison, in 2020 5–6 years post graduation, AU’s Master’s degree graduates were asked if they would choose the same programme again, to which 57% said yes and 25% said no.
• Variation is seen between faculties. 21% of Master’s degree graduates from AR and TECH ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study if they could choose again, while this is true for 17% of Master’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS and 13% of Master’s degree graduates from HE and NAT.

‘If I could choose again, I would choose’

• Respondents who ticked ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ to wishing they had chosen a different programme or place of study (17%) were asked to tick different options (multiple answers possible):
  • A completely different field (52%)
  • Other degree programme within the same field (48%)
  • Other educational institution (17%)
  • Other city (6%)
  • Other (5%)
• Variation is seen between faculties and programme types (only a small number of professional Bachelor’s degree graduates).

‘What do you think are the main reasons why you would choose differently?’

• Respondents who ‘Strongly agreed’ or ‘Agreed’ that they would choose a different programme or place of study (17%) were asked to indicate the most common reasons from the following options:
  • The degree programme’s career prospects for me (56%)
  • My interests have changed (34%)
  • The content of the degree programme did not meet my expectations (28%)
  • The quality of the programme was not high enough (19%)

• The social study environment on the programme was poor (9%)
• Personal circumstances (8%)
• Other (10%)

• Differences are seen between faculties and degree programme types. While ‘The degree programme’s career prospects for me’ is top among Master’s degree graduates from AR (74%), HE (51%) and NAT (64%), ‘My interests have changed’ 'is top among Master’s degree graduates from Aarhus BSS (44%) and TECH (50%) and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates (41%).

The relevance of degree programmes to the labour market is a key topic on the education policy agenda. The Ministry’s graduate survey therefore sheds light on the above theme by asking:

• Whether graduates feel that their degree has prepared them for their jobs
• Whether the graduates feel that what they learned on their degree programme matches the competencies that their employer is looking for?
• Whether there is a connection between the competencies acquired through their degree programme and the competencies they are applying in their jobs

Main results:

“My degree has prepared me for my current or most recent job”:

• Most of the respondents having completed the surveys both 1–2 and 5–6 years post graduation stated that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that their degree has prepared them for their job (MA 1–2 years and 5–6 years post graduation: 77% and PBA 1–2 years post graduation 81%). 

“There is a match between what I learnt on my degree programme and the skills required by my current/last employer”

• More than half of the respondents in the surveys 1–2 years and 5–6 years post graduation said that they ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Agree’ that there is a match between the competencies acquired from their degree programme and the competencies they use in their jobs (MA 1–2 years post graduation: 64%, MA 5–6 years post graduation: 62% and PBA 1–2 years post graduation: 74%).

Respondents are asked to rank up to five competencies from a predefined list based on the question: “Which competencies acquired on your degree programme do you use in your current/last job?” The competency that most people ranked most highly in the survey 1–2 years post graduation is the following:

·        AR (MA): Communication skills closely followed by People skills

·        Aarhus BSS (MA): Analytical skills

·        HE (MA): Application of theory and methodology in my field of expertise

·        NAT (MA): Acquisition of new knowledge

·        TECH (MA): Acquisition of new knowledge

·        PBA: Technical competencies

There is a slight change in the ranking of the competencies at several of the faculties when compared to the responses from graduates 5–6 years post graduation.

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Graduates’ transition to the labour market has been a regular topic of discussion for a number of years.

The Ministry’s graduate survey includes questions about how graduates found their first job and which elements are regarded by graduates as most important for their employment. In 2020, graduates from AU were also asked when they began actively looking for a job, and to what extent they thought about jobs and careers before, during and after their university studies.

Main results:

• In 2020, 46% of respondents found their first job via a job ad. 20% stayed on with the employer where they had had a student job, written an assignment/project/thesis or done an internship. This is largely unchanged since 2018
• Among the respondents from AU, ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’ is ranked most highly from among the predefined elements that are important for their employment.‘The competencies acquired during my studies’ is ranked most highly by the second-highest number of respondents from AU. This is largely unchanged from 2018. There are variations among Master’s degree graduates by faculty and compared to professional Bachelor’s degree graduates.
• An increasing proportion of respondents were thinking about jobs and careers just before and after their graduation. While one third of respondents thought about jobs and careers to a very high or high degree before starting their degree programme, and just over half did so during their studies, 77% did so immediately before graduation and 87% immediately after graduation. Differences are seen between Master’s degree graduates by faculty and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates.
• The majority of respondents started actively looking for a job before the end of their degree programme (38%) or immediately after finishing their degree (34%). 19% were offered a job without actively looking for work. Some differences are seen between Master’s degree graduates by faculty and professional Bachelor’s degree graduates. However, only a small proportion of respondents from AU (2%) and across faculties and programme types (1–3%)have not been actively looking for a job or have not landed a job.

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For a number of years, AU has been following the development of graduates on the labour market because it has become apparent that other degree programme elements become important over time, especially for Master’s degree graduates, than the elements that are important when graduates first enter the labour market.

That is why the graduate surveys contain questions about the elements deemed by graduates to be most important for their employment. Moreover, graduates have been asked 5–6 years post graduation whether they would choose the same degree programme again if they were to choose today.

Main results:

• ‘The competencies acquired during my studies’ was selected by the majority of respondents 5–6 years post graduation as one of the most important elements contributing to their employment. In addition, elements such as ‘I hold the degree that is a prerequisite for having my job’, ‘Student job’, ‘Network’ and ‘Internship’ were selected by a large proportion of respondents. There is a large overlap between the elements chosen by graduates 1–2 years post graduation, but a larger proportion of graduates 1–2 years post graduation selected Student job, Internship and Final assignment as elements important to their employment than graduates 5–6 years post graduation. Responses vary across the faculties.
• 57% of the respondents from AU would choose the same degree programme today, while 19% are in doubt (Don’t know), and 25% would not choose the same degree programme today. Some variation in responses is seen across the faculties.

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