Understanding SHAPE graduates

Introduction

This British Academy policy toolkit presents newly commissioned analysis of Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) data and data from the Office for National Statistics’ Quarterly Labour Force Surveys (LFS). These insights allow us to better understand the trajectories of SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and the Economy) graduates.

The toolkit contains three parts:

• Key findings that deepen our understanding of SHAPE graduate trajectories
• Interactive dashboard to explore graduate data analysis
• Policy context briefing outlining the wider debate around graduate outcomes in the UK.

We highly recommend reading the policy context briefing and information about the data before drawing conclusions from the data provided.

SHAPE graduates:

Are found across all sectors of the UK economy

From professional, scientific and technical careers (where 15.8% of all first-degree SHAPE graduates worked in 2023), to arts and recreation (4.5%), financial and real estate services (8.6%) and construction (2.7%).

Sustain important public sector services

In 2023, 77.7% of graduates working in education had studied SHAPE subjects, 64% working in public administration and 40.8% working in health and social work.

However, there has been a long-term shift away from the education sector, from 19.5% of all first-degree SHAPE graduates in 2002, to 13% in 2023.

Increasingly work in the UK's highest growing sectors

Between 2010 and 2022, the top three growth sectors were: manufacturing; transport and communication; and professional, scientific and technical services.

The percentage of the graduate workforce in these sectors who studied SHAPE subjects has risen from 45.8% in 2 1997 to 52.8% in 2023.

Support the economy of their regions of study

In 2020/21, 53% of the 2009/10 cohort of SHAPE first-degree graduates were still living in the region of England they had studied in.

But are also regionally mobile

In 2020/21, 47% of the 2009/10 cohort of SHAPE first- degree graduates had moved to another region of England.

Underpin the graduate workforce, particularly in London, North West England and the East of England

71% of first-degree graduates living in London in 2023 had studied SHAPE subjects, as well as 64% of those living in North West England and 61% in the East of England.

Achieve positive outcomes, as defined by the Office for Students

In 2020/21, 83% of male and 84% of female first-degree SHAPE graduates, who had graduated 10 years previously, were in sustained employment, further study or both.

Earn significantly higher wages than non-graduates

In 2023, SHAPE first-degree graduates earned on average £4.86 more per hour than non-graduates at the previous qualification level.

Have strong wage growth in the years after graduation, despite lower salaries when compared with STEM graduates

In the years up to 2020/21, SHAPE first-degree graduates’ median earnings increased by 26% from 1 to 3 years and by 43% from 1 to 5 years after graduation.

While average SHAPE salaries remain lower overall compared those of STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine) graduates, their rate of salary growth is higher in relation to their STEM counterparts.

Are resilient to wider economic shocks

SHAPE graduate employment quickly recovered after an initial dip when the Covid-19 pandemic began.

While this recovery has not been as steady during the recent cost-of-living crisis, SHAPE first-degree graduates’ employment rates remained significantly higher than non-graduates throughout these periods.

Quickly bounce back into work

Of SHAPE first-degree graduates, men are 11 percentage points and women 15 percentage points more likely to be in employment 12 months after being unemployed than non-graduates at the previous qualification level.

Explore the interactive dashboard

Read the policy context briefing (PDF) to explore the wider context of the measurement of graduate outcomes in the UK and the data available.