This page relates to the pilot edition of the QS Sustainability Ranking. For the current methodology, please visit here.
This lens assesses the ability of the institution to propel graduates into strong careers, as well as the strength of connections the institution has with employers. We also survey alumni to ask how their institutions prepared them for their careers, measure the impact of research into relevant SDG's, and then add national-level statistics on Employment. These are aggregated to produce a score.
Weight of metrics in Employment and Opportunities:
| Metric | Weight (In the lens / Overall) |
| Employer Reputation | 40% / 4% |
| Employment Outcomes | 20% / 2% |
| Research Impact into SDG's for Employment and Opportunities | 20% / 2% |
| Job Preparedness (Graduates View) | 10% / 1% |
| Employment and Opportunities National Statistics | 10% / 1% |
Employer Reputation
This is a score of an institution by our Employer Reputation indicator, used in QS World University Rankings and QS University Rankings by Region.
Employment Outcomes
This is a score of an institution by our Employment Outcomes indicator, used in QS World University Rankings.
Research Impact into SDG's for Employment and Opportunities
We analyse research output produced by institutions, classified by Elsevier as research in SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions). A score from 0 to 100 per SDG is produced using this methodology, and then averaged into an overall score, subject to at least two of the three mentioned SDG scores being 5 or higher.
Job Preparedness (Graduates View)
As part of QS Employer Reputation Survey, we ask respondents about what institution they graduated from and to what extent the skills gained during their latest degree were relevant to their current work activities. Institutions which meet the response rate threshold receive a non-zero score for Job Preparedness averaged across all responses. To avoid a low number effect, institutions with eligible but still low response rates are damped on a sliding scale.
Employment and Opportunities National Statistics
Unemployment rate data is extracted from World Bank. The percentage of unemployed workforce is taken away from 100 to calculate national employment rate and then the figures are z-scored and scaled.