Fewer than half of graduate employers asked recruits for a 2:1 degree this year, for the first time.
Leading companies are keen to diversify their intake and some are running applications that are “blind” to the applicant’s name, university or even degree classification.
Most graduates now achieve a 2:1 or a first, meaning it is harder for employers to use this as a way of choosing candidates. A report published yesterday by the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) — formerly the Association of Graduate Recruiters — found that the number of recruiters stipulating a minimum 2:1 degree had fallen to 48 per cent, down from 57 per cent in 2021.
