CHARLES Sturt University has the equal highest graduate employment rate and second highest for median graduating salaries but vice-chancellor Andrew Vann said people shouldn't be surprised by the good results.
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The results were made available on the federal government's Quality Indicators for Teaching and Learning (QILT) website and showed CSU fared well not just in post-graduate success, but its students also ranked the university highly in a student survey.
Professor Vann said CSU had a proven record of getting graduates into good, well-paying jobs and said previous reports had yielded similar results.
"It's no accident and it reflects the effort we put in. We aim to deliver a quality education and foundation for professional employment," he said.
CSU outperformed other NSW universities for the number of graduates who entered full-time employment within four months of completing their studies. They achieved an average of 83.6 per cent, compared to 77 per cent for the University of NSW, 67.4 per cent for Newcastle University and 67.1 per cent for the University of Sydney.
The regional university also fared better with median salary for graduates. CSU had a median salary of $60,000, while UNSW was $59,000, Newcastle $56,000 and Sydney was $55,000.
Professor Vann said it was not unusual for a student attending CSU to be the first in their family to attend university and a lot of work had been put in to ensure they felt comfortable in the higher education setting.
"The results are consistent with the feedback we get at graduation and that is it is a life-changing experience. For students who are the first in their family to attend university, they say it is changing the family tree, it has that big an impact.
"All universities take the report seriously and a lot of effort goes into the curriculum.''
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham told Fairfax Media the survey was designed to deliver improved clarity around how higher education institutions performed.
"The strengthening of QILT will provide greater transparency for students to ensure they enrol in a course that they have a high chance of seeing through but also demand more accountability of universities for the students they take on," he said.
"Universities must take responsibility for those students they choose to enrol and ensure they have the capabilities and support to succeed."