The University of Edinburgh has been ranked 23rd in the world and fourth in the UK in the latest Global Employability University Survey.
Trendence, German market research company, and Emerging, French human resources consultancy firm, asked 2,400 managing directors of international businesses and 2,200 recruiting firms from 20 countries to rank 150 universities worldwide.
Harvard University took the top spot followed by Cambridge and Oxford at second and third respectively.
The only other British universities in the top 25 were Imperial College London which stood at 15th, eight places ahead of the University of Edinburgh, the only Scottish university to place in the table.
US universities dominated the table, taking seven of the top 10 places and 39 places of the 150 institutions ranked.
The research also included a domestic survey, which asked British employers to rate the quality of graduates of UK universities for employability. In this survey, the University of Edinburgh ranked 10th, behind Oxford in first place, Cambridge in second, St Andrews in seventh, and Bristol in ninth.
Other Scottish universities to feature in the domestic survey included Glasgow and Heriot-Watt, which ranked 20th and 33rd respectively.
Shelagh Green, Director of the Careers Service at the University of Edinburgh, told The Student why she felt the graduates of the University stand out to employers.
“In my experience, employers look for and value graduates who offer both academic excellence and a combination of skills and attributes developed in a range of contexts. The University provides the opportunity for all our students to deliver just that.
“We recruit strong, motivated students and offer them degree programmes which give breadth and depth, and include innovative learning experiences which further support personal development.
“The rich range of clubs, societies, sports and volunteering offered by EUSA and EUSU, alongside the culture and opportunities of a capital city, mean most of our students can find things beyond their degree to benefit from.
“I’m particularly pleased by the success of our Edinburgh Award: over 700 students received an Award last year across more than 47 areas.
“The Award allows participants to fully benefit from the activities they participate in and […] to translate their learning to other contexts and to sell it to employers.
“At the Careers Service we are in regular contact with a wide range of recruiters and respond to their feedback so that our students are well prepared for life beyond university.
“There are limitless opportunities at Edinburgh that allow our students to develop while enjoying their time here.
“It’s those extra elements that can make our students stand out. Academically strong but with a good story tell.”
According to the 2015-2016 QS world university rankings, the University of Edinburgh ranks as the 21st best academic institution in the world.
Image: Chen Zhao