Tertiary level graduates (ISCED levels 5 to 8) numbered 3,953 during academic year 2014/2015, equivalent to an increase of 0.7 per cent over the previous academic year, the NSo said today.

Graduate Students: 2014/2015

A total of 2,067 graduates achieved a first degree qualification (equivalent to ISCED level 6), during the reference academic year. Female graduates outnumbered males in all ISCED levels, with the exception of ISCED level 5.

During academic year 2014/2015, 81.5 per cent of graduates were enrolled on a full-time basis. More than half of full-time graduates obtained a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (ISCED level 6 qualification). Part-time graduates accounted for 18.5 per cent of total graduates. Of these, 55.3 per cent achieved a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification (ISCED level 7 qualification).

An increase was recorded in the average age of graduates in all education levels when compared to the previous academic year. Part-time graduates in all levels of education had an overall higher average age when compared to their full-time counterparts during 2014/2015.

The ‘Business, administration and law’ field of study was the most popular among student graduating in 2014/2015, amounting to 26.7 per cent of all graduates. This was followed by graduates in ‘Arts and humanities’ and in ‘Health and welfare’. ‘Information and communication technologies’ and ‘Engineering, manufacturing and construction’ fields of study were dominated by males, while females had a stronger presence in ‘Services’ and ‘Education’ fields of study.

Foreign graduates totalled to 198, equivalent to 5.0 per cent of total graduates with the majority of foreign graduates being non-EU nationals. ‘Social sciences, journalism and information’ was the most popular field of study among foreign graduates (26.3 per cent of all foreigners) followed by ‘Business, administration and law’ (23.7 per cent of all foreigners).