International students studying healthcare-related fields are the most likely to secure employment in Australia, consistently recording the highest full-time employment rates at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) survey programme released its 2024 Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS) report, which tracks employment outcomes among international students in Australia. Sponsored by the Australian Department of Education, the survey measures graduates’ employment status around four to six months after completing their programmes, according to the MSN.

The survey received responses from nearly 30,500 international students across more than 110 institutions. The data is divided into three categories: undergraduate, postgraduate coursework and postgraduate research.

Healthcare-related fields dominated the rankings for full-time employment. Engineering and technology, which featured more prominently in previous years, have fallen out of the top tier, with employment rates among recent international graduates in these fields dropping to around 50% or below.

At the undergraduate level, Communications and Creative Arts graduates face the toughest job market. Only 32.2% of international graduates in Communications and 37.8% in Creative Arts were in full-time employment four to six months after graduation.

The pattern largely continues at the postgraduate level, with healthcare fields again recording some of the strongest employment outcomes.

Education, however, shows a notable contrast. While it ranks fifth for employability among undergraduates, it is the most difficult field for postgraduate research graduates to find work in, with only 60% securing employment within six months.

Top five fields by full-time employment rate

Employment rates refer to full-time employment 4–6 months after graduation. Salary figures are annual averages. AU$10,000 = US$6,544.

Top five fields at postgraduate coursework level