Conducted in 17 European countries in the winter of 2022/2023, the survey examines the academic and professional careers of the graduating cohorts of 2016/17 and 2020/21, looking at topics such as labor market transition, international mobility, and the social structure of graduates.
High employment rate, mixed job quality
Master's graduates from Austrian higher education institutions are more successful than average when entering the job market: one year after graduation, 93% of Master's graduates are employed, while the average among participating countries is 89%. However, 47% of them state that a lower degree would also be sufficient for their job (Eurograduate average: 54%). In addition, 37% do not work in the field they studied (Eurograduate average: 30%).
Although there is an “elevator effect” in working life – university graduates are particularly likely to be employed and have high median wages – there are also well-known social inequalities within this group: women, first-generation graduates, and younger people have lower employment rates and lower full-time employment rates and incomes.
Austria: Lots of international exchange
Graduates of Austrian universities often gained experience abroad during their studies. In the 2016/17 graduating class, this figure was 27%, and in 2020/21—during the pandemic—it was still 19% (Eurograduate average: 17% and 13%, respectively). After graduation, neighboring countries with a shared language are particularly popular destinations (e.g., Austria-Germany-Switzerland). At 13%, master's graduates from Austrian higher education institutions (five years after graduation) are particularly likely to live abroad, whereas the Eurograduate average is 5%. Experience abroad during studies and temporary unemployment after graduation are associated with increased mobility after graduation. People with a migration background or who began their studies with a degree from abroad are also more likely to be mobile.
Slow shifts in study experience and content
The majority of degrees are obtained at universities (79% in 2020/21), although the proportion of graduates from non-university higher education institutions (e.g., universities of applied sciences) has risen (from 17% to 21%). Women make up the majority of graduates, accounting for between 57% and 73% depending on the country. Only in the STEM fields do men continue to outnumber women (64% men in 2020/21).
Teaching itself is also changing: in Austria, only 42% of the 2020/21 master's cohort’s programs were primarily lecture-based, a decline compared to the previous cohort (49%). Although the presence of sustainability topics in studies increased in all countries (21% in 2026/17, 28% in 2020/21 on average), this applies primarily to disciplines linked to this topic. Almost half (46%) of bachelor's graduates in the 2020/21 cohort went on to pursue further studies, with this proportion being particularly high in Austria at 68%.