Graduates’ attractivity amongst employers is stronger than ever before. More young graduates declare that they are in a stable job with a permanent contract (76%), and they are also better paid with an average gross annual salary outside of France reaching 40.611 euros. The majority of the Class of 2017 responded that they are satisfied with their job taking into account new measures of professional well-being.
The average gross annual salary is 38.6K euros all countries combined -- or 40.6K euros outside of France. This is higher than last year (the average was 37K euros for the Class of 2016). The average income remains higher abroad than in France with an average gross salary of 40.6K euros, compared to 37.4K euros in the 2018 survey.
70% of employed graduates work in the private sector (compared to 69% in the 2017 survey); 10% joined an international organization or work in the European institutions (compared to 9% in 2016) and 20% work in the public sector (22% in 2016).
Auditing and consulting (19%), the public sector (15%) and banking, finance and insurance (10%) remain the top choices for graduates. A new sector that is emerging is technology, data and computing. These jobs attract 4% of graduates.
As in the 2018 survey, 34% of graduates started their career outside of France. All in all, Sciences Po graduates work in 77 different countries. This strong internationalization is linked in part to international students returning to their country of origin, but it also concerns French students - 21% of them decide to start an international career abroad.
In the search for a first job, statistics show that previous professional experience obtained before graduation- whether it be internships or apprenticeships - is a decisive lever. 40% of the Class of 2017 found their first job thanks to their previous experience, compared to 30% of graduates of the Class of 2016.
Furthermore, the majority of apprenticeship students (59% of them) found a job before even graduating, compared to 42% of the rest of the students. Learn more about apprenticeships at Sciences Po.
In general, the situation of young graduates with a dual degree (17% of the class) is similar to that of the entire class but with one significant difference: the choice of a dual degree turns out to be more profitable (13% higher salaries before bonuses). Consequently, it is safe to say that dual degrees tend to give access to higher-paying jobs internationally.
The same is true for graduates of the one-year master’s programmes for young professionals. They benefit from a gross annual salary that is 18% higher than that of other graduates of the Class of 2017. However, this can most often be explained by their previous professional experience.
For the first time, the Graduate Employability Survey asked graduates about their professional well-being and their level of satisfaction with their jobs. 86% responded that they were satisfied. More specifically, the satisfaction rate is at 77% for job conditions, location and autonomy. However, it is at 55% when it comes to salary. Over 75% of graduates say they are satisfied with their relationships with their colleagues.
The 2019 edition of the Graduate Employability Survey was conducted by Sciences Po Careers under the scientific supervision of Roberto Galbiati (Professor of Economics at Sciences Po and CNRS) and with the expertise of the Sciences Po Socio-Political Data Center (CDSP). 1,575 graduates of the Class of 2017 responded, which amounts to a participation rate of 66%.