UEL becomes fastest-rising university for career success

The University of East London (UEL) has emerged as the fastest-rising university in England and London, and the second fastest-rising in the sector, for graduate employability – cementing its status as a national leader in career-focused education.  

This sharp rise in the newly released Graduate Outcome Survey results places UEL among the top-performing institutions nationally and reflects the university’s ambitious Vision 2028 strategy, which puts careers and employer engagement at the core of its teaching, learning and student experience.

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Amanda Broderick said the results show how UEL is reshaping the role of modern universities. She said: 

Our latest Graduate Outcomes results reflect a transformational shift driven by Vision 2028. By embedding our unique mental wealth curriculum and career readiness at the heart of our educational model, we are preparing students not only to thrive in today's job market but to lead in tomorrow's economy. As the most socially inclusive UK university, these results are about more than progression - they are about inclusive success at scale.”

UEL’s rapid rise comes on the back of another strong performance in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS), further increasing graduating students’ overall positivity year-on-year and maintaining a UK top ten position.

The NSS student feedback underscores the impact of UEL’s career-first approach, confirming that UEL’s integrated, careers-first approach is delivering positive graduate outcomes that are directly felt and valued by students themselves.

• 89 per cent say the skills developed during their studies will support their future careers, reflecting the strength of UEL’s Mental Wealth and Professional Fitness provision.
• Students are 24.3 per cent more likely than peers in England to consider starting their own business, thanks to UEL’s embedded focus on enterprise and innovation as a viable career route, contributing to the University achieving the UK’s largest, fastest, new and active business growth in student start-ups.
• Confidence in career prospects is 9.4% above the national average, showing UEL graduates are equipped to lead in the future economy.
• 92 per cent found their placement experiences valuable, reinforcing UEL’s Careers Guarantee of real-world learning from day one.
• UEL also outperforms the sector by eight percentage points in students receiving high-quality career advice, supporting personalised, long-term employability.

At the heart of UEL’s success is its Careers Guarantee - an institutional promise that every student will engage in real-world, work-based learning from day one. This includes integrated placements, live employer briefs, enterprise training, and industry-standard facilities. The model’s impact has earned national recognition: UEL was named “University of the Year” by AGCAS at the Academic Employability Awards and won Best Education and Apprenticeship Provider at the 2025 UK Apprenticeship Awards.

UEL’s commitment to teaching excellence has also been widely acknowledged - an essential pillar of its Careers Guarantee. It was named 2025 University of the Year for Teaching Quality by The Times and The Sunday Times and made the biggest leap of any UK institution in the latest Guardian University Guide, now ranking ninth in London. Through Vision 2028, UEL is redefining higher education - delivering inclusive, career-focused education and innovation on a national scale.