Manchester named among UK’s top five universities for graduate employability

03 Nov 2026

We’re delighted to have been named one of the UK’s top five universities for graduate employability in a new international ranking.

We placed fifth in the UK and 50th globally in the Global Employability University Ranking 2027, published by Times Higher Education. This represents an improvement from 56th place globally in the 2026 ranking.

The ranking, designed by HR consultancy Emerging, identifies the universities that recruiters at leading companies believe are best at preparing students for the workplace. A total of 17 UK universities feature among the 300 institutions included globally.

The result follows further recognition of our strong links with employers. Earlier this year, we were ranked first in the UK for graduate employer interest in High Fliers' The Graduate Market in 2026, based on research with 100 of the UK’s leading graduate employers.

Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, said: “This recognition reflects the strength of our students and graduates, as well as our close relationships with employers. We want our students to leave Manchester with the knowledge, skills, experience and confidence they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world of work.”

This recognition also reflects the practical work taking place across our University to support graduate employability, including placements, micro-internships and closer working with business.

In other rankings during 2026, we were placed 40th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and first in the world in the 2026 Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings. We also retained our place among the UK’s top six universities in the 2026 Academic Ranking of World Universities.