Coding jobs took only 28% of UK computer-science graduates
The share of recent UK computer-science graduates entering coding or programming jobs fell from about 40 percent previously to 28 percent last year. The analysis was prepared for the Guardian University Guide. The share entering any graduate-level occupation fell from more than 60 percent two years earlier to 50 percent.
Verified 2:55 AM PDT · 2 original sources
The analysis draws on the Higher Education Statistics Agency's Graduate Outcomes survey. More than 350,000 former students answered questions about their work 15 months after finishing courses in 2024. Coding and software development were the fastest-falling occupations for graduates in the data.
The employment shift is observed. Its cause is not. HESA's survey does not show that employers replaced specific entry-level jobs with AI. Charlie Ball of Jisc said the software labor market clearly changed but remained reluctant to assign the change to AI without stronger evidence. A weak hiring cycle, employer budgets and graduates moving into cybersecurity or network roles can also affect the totals.
The next graduate cohort can show whether the drop persists. Job-posting data should separate junior coding roles from cybersecurity, network engineering and AI-assisted positions. Wages, hiring requirements and employer automation records would help distinguish a temporary slowdown. They would also show whether entry-level software work has changed for good.
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- The GuardianAI may be denting computer science graduates' job prospects, UK data shows ↗
- Higher Education Statistics AgencyHigher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: Activities ↗
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