More graduates pick engineering jobs

The survey, carried out just before the end of the four-year degree, showed that more than 90% of graduates chose civil engineering careers. Over last five years 73% of civil engineering graduates from Imperial have gone into the industry.

"We consistently find that a high proportion of our class (about 75%) take first employment in civil engineering. To be above 90% was a surprise," said professor David Nethercot, head of the department of civil and environmental engineering at Imperial College. "We hope that it’s a trend."

The research showed that 84% of students had found jobs in civil engineering, 6% would follow postgraduate courses in civil engineering, and 2% were seeking other employment.

Nethercot said that higher profile projects such as the Olympics, Heathrow Terminal Five and High Speed 1 were likely to have encouraged more students to stay in the industry. But he added that rising salaries, especially for the top UK graduates, has also helped.

"On-going initiatives within Imperial to increase student exposure to exciting and challenging elements of the engineering profession may also be a factor," said Nethercot.

Applications to the Imperial civil engineering undergraduate course have also increased in recent years. Applications for courses in 2007 were 29% up on 2006.

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