TY - JOUR

T1 - Uncovering employment outcomes for autistic university graduates in the United Kingdom: An analysis of population data

AU - Vincent, Jonathan

AU - Ralston, Kevin

PY - 2024/3/1

Y1 - 2024/3/1

N2 - International research suggests that more autistic people are entering higher education. Currently, very little is known about this group in the United Kingdom, for example, we have little information about how many autistic people enrol at UK-based higher education institutions, their backgrounds, the academic programmes they study and what they do once they have graduated. Our study tries to explore these issues by comparing outcomes between autistic students, other disabled students and non-disabled students. We use population data collected by the Higher Education Statistical Agency in the United Kingdom, which included 1,326,416 graduates across the years 2012-2018. Our findings indicate that the degree subjects studied at university by autistic students are more diverse than often people think. We also found that graduates go on to work in a range of employment sectors following graduation but often experience worse outcomes in terms of access to full-time work and worse pay. We argue that universities and colleges must focus greater attention on developing better employment transition support for autistic students and graduates.

AB - International research suggests that more autistic people are entering higher education. Currently, very little is known about this group in the United Kingdom, for example, we have little information about how many autistic people enrol at UK-based higher education institutions, their backgrounds, the academic programmes they study and what they do once they have graduated. Our study tries to explore these issues by comparing outcomes between autistic students, other disabled students and non-disabled students. We use population data collected by the Higher Education Statistical Agency in the United Kingdom, which included 1,326,416 graduates across the years 2012-2018. Our findings indicate that the degree subjects studied at university by autistic students are more diverse than often people think. We also found that graduates go on to work in a range of employment sectors following graduation but often experience worse outcomes in terms of access to full-time work and worse pay. We argue that universities and colleges must focus greater attention on developing better employment transition support for autistic students and graduates.

KW - autism

KW - college

KW - employment

KW - outcomes

KW - university

U2 - 10.1177/13623613231182756

DO - 10.1177/13623613231182756

M3 - Journal article

VL - 28

SP - 732

EP - 743

JO - Autism

JF - Autism

SN - 1362-3613

IS - 3

ER -