Out of 500 universities in the annual QS Graduate Employability Rankings, the American University in Cairo (AUC) ranked in the top 200 and the highest in Egypt. The AUC has a graduate employment rate of 86% within one year after graduation.
The AUC ranked in the 191-200 range, moving up from its 201-250 range last year.
QS compares employability among universities by looking at five indicators: reputation of institutions among employers, alumni outcomes, university partnerships with employers, employer-student connections, and graduate employment rate.
The AUC scored the highest rate in employer-student connections. This indicator looks at the presence of employers on university campuses, whether it is through career fairs, company presentations, or other methods that increase the opportunities for students to network and get internships or jobs.
“The AUC partners with employers on several fronts. Apart from on-campus recruitment, the Career Center engages employers in the career education of AUC students,” said Maha Guindi, executive director of the AUC’s Career Center.
“Employers participate in the AUC’s job shadowing programme; professionals from various industries are invited to represent career fields at career exploration events; and organisations offer internship opportunities year-round to help create career awareness among students and enhance their experiential learning process,” she added.
The University’s second highest score is in alumni outcomes, which analyses innovative, entrepreneurial, creative, and philanthropic individuals to assess which universities are producing high-achieving and world-changing graduates.
Additionally, the AUC scored higher in almost all indicators in comparison to the African average.
The QS employability ranking helps prospective students decide which universities will provide them with opportunities and access to employers. While employment opportunities are also highly dependent on students themselves, proactive efforts by universities play a significant role in nurturing high-achieving and motivated students and giving them the proper tools to succeed.
The AUC’s Career Center is the first university career centre in the Middle East, opening in 1991 and serving more than 6,000 students and alumni annually. The Career Center also holds employment fairs each semester, allowing students to meet with possible employers and learn about their fields of interest. It also provides a platform, CareerWEB, for employers to share their internship/job opportunities with students and alumni throughout the year.
