Strong demand for SUTD’s Class of 2021 graduates with more than 9 in 10 in full-time permanent employment

07 Apr 2022
  • Close to half of fresh graduates who secured full-time permanent employment received two or more job offers
  • Median gross monthly salary increased by about 10% in 2021 compared to 2020

About 95% of fresh graduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) in the labour force were employed within six months of completing their final examinations, reflecting strong demand for SUTD graduates. 91% of SUTD graduates in the labour force secured full-time permanent employment, a 10% increase compared to last year. More than 80% or 341 out of SUTD’s seventh batch of 416 fresh graduates participated in the latest Graduate Employment Survey.
 
44% of SUTD graduates in full-time permanent employment received two or more job offers. About one in four (24%) of those who secured full-time permanent employment received return job offers arising from their internships, which is a graduation requirement for SUTD students. Similar to last year, close to 3% of SUTD fresh graduates in the labour force have either accepted a job offer but have yet to start work or are not working but are pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities, such as starting a business venture.  
 
Salaries commanded by SUTD fresh graduates in full-time permanent employment have increased by around 10% with a median gross monthly salary1 of $4,500 in 2021, compared to $4,100 in 2020. The mean gross monthly salary among SUTD’s fresh graduates employed in full-time permanent employment increased by about 8% to $4,730 in 2021, compared to $4,369 in 2020. For the Class of 2021, the top hiring industries include Information & Communication, Financial & Insurance, and Scientific Research & Development.
 
Employment Status of Graduates Who Participated in the Follow-up Survey
Close to 80% or 64 out of 82 SUTD graduates in the Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD) degree programme who had graduated in 2018 participated in the 2021 follow-up survey. Majority of these students had taken up SUTD’s Master of Architecture programme and participated in the survey upon completion of their practical training. Of those in the labour force, around 97% were employed.
 
Professor Chong Tow Chong, SUTD's President, said: “I am heartened by this year's Graduate Employment Survey results, which showed a 10% increase of SUTD graduates obtaining full-time permanent employment compared to last year. This reflects employers’ strong recognition of the qualities of our graduates, who are adaptable team players who know how to self-learn and apply design to ask the right questions to develop the right solutions. Importantly, they affirm their employment offers with top remuneration. SUTD's interdisciplinary, design-centric education has prepared our graduates to create a better world by design.”


1 Gross monthly salary comprises the basic salary, overtime payments, commissions, fixed allowances, and other regular cash payments, before deduction of the employee’s CPF contributions and personal income tax. Employer’s CPF contributions, bonuses, stock options, other lump sum payments, and payments-in-kind are excluded.