TUS announced as Ireland’s top university for graduate employment

TUS announced as Ireland’s top university for graduate employment. President of TUS – Professor Vincent Cunnane takes a selfie with all the graduates and crowd as the first full generation of TUS students were conferred recently. Pic. Brian Arthur

TUS has been announced as Ireland’s top university for graduate employment for the third year in a row

For the third-year running, the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has secured the highest graduate employment rate in the country, according to the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey released by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

The figures confirm that 85.5 per cent of TUS honours degree graduates were employed within nine months of graduation—significantly ahead of the national university average of 74.9 per cent.

The survey highlights not just the quantity, but the quality of roles secured by TUS graduates. Over 62 per cent are working in highly skilled roles classified as professional, management, or associate professional occupations.

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In a clear signal of the value of a TUS degree, almost 18% of graduates in the area of Social Sciences, Journalism and Information commenced employment on starting salaries between €60,000 and €69,999.

Employment stability is also a key theme, with 55.5 per cent of all TUS undergraduates acquiring permanent contracts. Specific sectors performed exceptionally well, seeing 73.7 per cent of Engineering undergraduates secured permanent contracts; 72.7 per cent of undergraduates from Social Sciences, Journalism and Information secured permanent contracts.

Reflecting the university’s mandate to drive development in the Midlands and Midwest, graduates are making significant economic contributions locally. Employment concentrations are strong in Limerick (31.4 per cent), Dublin (13.1 per cent), Westmeath (8.3 per cent), and Galway (7.2%).

President of TUS, Professor Vincent Cunnane, said: “These outstanding outcomes reflect our mission as a university deeply connected to its regions and focused on student success. Our care-based, student-centred approach combines academic excellence with employability and personal support.

“We extend our sincere thanks to our staff across the university and our regional employers and industry partners. Their collaboration is vital; their engagement ensures every graduate’s success.”

The survey also found that 84 per cent of TUS Research postgraduates and 77.3 per cent of Taught postgraduates are in full-time employment nine months post-graduation.

Aoife Prendergast, Careers & Employability Manager at TUS, explained the strategy, “Our graduates’ success stems from a comprehensive and integrated cycle of trust with our industry partners. This cycle begins when employers co-design our curriculum. They then supervise our students on placement, attend our annual Careers Fairs, and ultimately hire them—often before graduation.

“This deep involvement ensures that when a student graduates from TUS, they are already known, trusted, and fully equipped with the skills required by the employer.”

The survey also found that 80 per cent of TUS graduates consider their programme relevant to their current role, substantially higher than the national figure of just over 60 per cent.

Dean of Flexible & Work-Based Learning, Seamus Hoyne, added, “Work-based and active learning approaches are central to how TUS prepares students for the future of work. Embedding structured placements and work-based projects across our programmes means students are constantly applying what they learn to real-world problems.”