UCD and Trinity College have been named among world's top 100 universities for employability.

They both maintained their top 100 spots in the latest Graduate Employability Rankings compiled by global higher education analysts company, QS, with Trinity climbing one place to 91st position, closing the gap on UCD in 87th.

In total, six Irish universities are ranked by QS, making up just over 1pc of the 550 ranked institutions.

The overall trend represents positive news for Irish graduates and the universities that educate them, with four of the six having improved their position since the last rankings were released.

"Universities are rated on partnerships with employers, including internships, the number of sectoral leaders among their alumni, the frequency with which employers are present on campus, and a location-adjusted graduate employment rate," said Ben Sowter, director of research at QS.

The gap between UCD and Trinity College Dublin has narrowed from 14 places in 2019's rankings to four places in the latest one.

UCD's position has fallen from 78th to 87th, while TCD has edged upwards, from 92nd to 91st. "Both institutions outperform their overall QS World University Rankings position, suggesting that nurturing employability remains an especial strength for each," said Mr Sowter.

Also rising up the rankings is Dublin City University and University of Limerick, which break into the top 200.

University College Cork leaps from the 251st - 00th band to the 201st -250th category.

The National University of Ireland at Galway remains in the 301st - 500th group.

TCD received Ireland's highest Employer Reputation score, which is based on survey responses from 75,000 employers regarding those institutions from which they have hired the most successful graduates.

According to QS's dataset, UCD is doing most to cultivate relationships with employers, achieving the nation's leading score in the Partnerships with Employers indicator.

DCU does best when it comes to getting its students into jobs. It's location adjusted Graduate Employment Rate score was 98.7 out of 100 according to the survey.

The University of Limerick brings more employers onto campus than any other Irish institution, achieving the country's highest score in the Employer-Student Connections metric.

"With students becoming increasingly conscious of the competitiveness of the global graduate jobs market, and of the ever-increasing financial costs of their educational investment, it has become correspondingly crucial that independent data of this sort is available to them, so as to inform evidence-based decisions about their educational futures," said Mr Sowter.

Orla Bannon, director of careers at Trinity, said the rankings, the first since the pandemic began impacting on graduate employment, are a clear endorsement of the value of a Trinity education from an employer's perspective.

"Trinity graduates continue to be highly employable and successful in their chosen careers. Our mission as a University is to prepare our students for success in their lives, personally and professionally, and we are delighted to see that our efforts and those of our students and graduates are recognised at what is a uniquely challenging time for graduate employment," she added,

Prof. Orla Shiels, Vice-Provost at Trinity, said the ranking endorses Trinity's strategic aspiration to make a difference in a world where connectivity is the new growth.

"Trinity grows by becoming ever more connected in an interdependent world. We work hard to ensure our students develop the necessary skills and graduate attributes to succeed in both their studies and in their careers. I am delighted that this hard work and commitment is recognised in today's ranking," she added.

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