Nine in 10 SUTD fresh graduates employed within six months of graduation, draw higher salaries: Survey

SINGAPORE – Around nine in 10 fresh graduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) were employed within six months of completing their final examinations.

The median gross monthly salary of SUTD’s fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment increased to $4,800 in 2022 compared to $4,500 in 2021, while their mean gross monthly salary also increased to $5,102 in 2022, compared to $4,730 in 2021.

These were some of the key numbers from SUTD’s latest graduate employment survey, which 300 out of SUTD’s eighth batch of 388 fresh graduates participated in.

Over 55 per cent of SUTD graduates secured full-time permanent employment in information and communication, financial and insurance, and scientific research and development sectors.

The latest figures are in line with a recent survey showing that more of Singapore’s fresh university graduates secured full-time jobs and commanded higher pay in 2022 compared with the previous year, as the economy continued to grow and recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

A graduate employment survey released in February – which tracked 12,100 fresh graduates from full-time programmes in the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University and Singapore University of Social Sciences – showed that 87.5 per cent of fresh graduates in the labour force were in full-time permanent roles, compared with 84 per cent in 2021.

Graduates from several sectors, including information and digital technologies, health sciences and engineering, recorded the highest proportions in full-time permanent jobs. Those from information and digital technologies courses continued to take home the highest pay at $5,625, up from $5,000 in 2021.

SUTD President Professor Chong Tow Chong said: “Despite the slowing economy, SUTD’s graduate employment survey results showed that our fresh graduates are still well sought-after by employers. I am pleased to note that almost 40 per cent of this cohort comprises science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem)-educated women – a five percentage point increase over the previous year.”

“SUTD will continue nurturing young leaders and innovators with its interdisciplinary design education to serve societal needs and build a better world by design.”