Scottish graduates up 18%

Scottish graduates up 18%

FIGURES published yesterday showed an 18 per cent increase in the number of people graduating from higher education courses in Scotland. But although female graduates outnumbered males according to the latest report, the men edged ahead gaining more first-class honours degrees.

The Scottish Office bulletin, covering statistics for 1996 and contrasting them with 1995, reveals that 1 per cent more men got top honours with 6 per cent of women scoring a first.

Fifty-three per cent of women and 47 per cent of men qualified from higher education in 1996, and more women successfully completed postgraduate and diploma courses. Almost 84 per cent of graduates and diplomats found jobs or went on to further study. Most chose to remain in Scotland, with 70 per cent finding permanent employment north of the border. The most common type of work was in science and engineering, closely followed by the social services.