Defence and manufacturing-related companies are recruiting the largest number of graduates in the South West, it has been revealed.
The region's leading industries dominate graduate recruitment here while nationally those finishing their studies are moving into finance and retail, according to a survey by the Complete University Guide.
Manufacturer Dyson leads graduate recruitment in the South West with 40 posts, while those leaving university are also chasing 30 jobs at engineering support firm Babcock and 25 with the Royal Navy.
The leading graduate employer in the country is Boots, taking on 365.
Boots drops to fourth in the table in this region, tied with engineering company Atkins with both firms employing 20 graduates.
According to national statistics, 85% of graduates from the University of Bath are employed in the top three occupational sectors nationally.
While the largest proportion of its graduates works in the South West, nearly a third move to London and the rest to other parts of the UK and abroad.
A University spokesperson said: "Nearly two thirds of our undergraduate students take placement years as part of their degree programmes, which helps them boost their employment prospects across all sectors nationwide, not just in the South West".
Students from Bath Spa University are more likely to find work in the region, with 55.6 per cent of graduates remaining in the South West and 63.3 per cent staying on for either work or further study.
University of Bath graduate Thomas Buxton-Smith, 28, said that graduate employment depends largely on where the jobs for their chosen employment are.
Mr Buxton-Smith, who works for a civil engineering firm in Exeter, graduated in 2010. He said: "For me, remaining in the region was a logical decision as there were plenty of jobs around for me."
But with only a few employers taking on more staff that it becoming more difficult for new graduates.
Morwenna Jones
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