Metadata document 23rd Jan 2020: This release provides outcomes by degree Provider and region, focusing on graduate outcomes and earnings in the 2016/17 tax year for the 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2014/15 cohorts (one, three and five years after graduation). Please see the text for more detailed information about the measures used in this publication. Coverage This publication looks at those who graduated with a first degree qualification from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Great Britain or from a Further Education College or Alternate Provider in England. All figures are based on UK tax, benefit and student records only. Years after graduation The time periods used in this publication are one, three and five years after graduation, which refers to the first, third and fifth full tax years after graduation, respectively, and all outcomes are based on activity in the 2016/17 tax year for the 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2014/15. Employment outcomes Outcomes for UK graduates are presented for those who have been successfully matched to the Department for Work and Pensions’ Customer Information System (CIS) or if they have been matched to a further study instance on the HESA Student Record. In this publication, these individuals are referred to as matched. Graduates who have been matched are then placed in one of five outcomes categories. These are: Activity not captured: graduates who have been successfully matched to CIS but do not have any employment, out-of-work benefits or further study records in the tax year of interest. Reasons for appearing in this category include: moving out of the UK after graduation for either work or study, earning below the Lower Earnings Limit or voluntarily leaving the labour force. No sustained destination: graduates who have an employment or out-of-work benefits record in the tax year in question but were not classified as being in ‘sustained employment’ and do not have a further study record. Sustained employment only: graduates are considered to be in sustained employment if they were employed for at least one day for five out of the six months between October and March of the tax year in question or if they had a self-employment record in that tax year and earnings from partnership or sole-trader enterprises of over £0 (profit from self-employment). To be in the sustained employment only category, graduates must not have a record of further study in the tax year in question. Sustained employment with or without further study: includes all graduates with a record of sustained employment, regardless of whether they also have a record of further study. A graduate is defined as being in further study if they have a valid higher education study record at any UK HEI on the HESA database in the relevant tax year. The further study does not have to be at postgraduate level to be counted. Sustained employment, further study or both: includes all graduates with a record of sustained employment or further study. This category includes all graduates in the ‘sustained employment with or without further study’ category as well as those with a further study record only. Earnings outcomes Earnings are presented for those classified as being in sustained employment and where we have a valid earnings record from the P14 and/or Self Assesment tax return. Earnings from self-employment have been included in 'Total' earnings in this release. Those in further study are excluded as their earnings would be more likely to relate to part-time jobs. List of variable names and their description File publication_main_csv: tax_year Tax year in which outcomes and earnings relate to. academic_year Academic year in which the group completed their first degree. YAG Number of years after graduation. XINSTC01 Country of provider ukprn_cleaned Unique identification code of the provider Provider_name Name of the provider InstRegion Region where provider is based inst_type The provider type (Higher Education Institution (HEI), Further Education College (FEC), Alternative Provider (AP)) GORNM The current region of the graduate. grads Number of graduates included in calculations. unmatched Percentage of graduates that have been classed as unmatched. matched Number of graduates that have been classed as matched. activity_not_captured Percentage of matched graduates whose activity could not be captured. no_sust_dest Percentage of matched graduates with an unsustained destination. sust_emp_only Percentage of graduates with a record or sustained employment only. sust_emp_with_or_without_fs Percentage of graduates with a record or sustained employment (these graduates may or may not have a further study record in addition to a sustained employment record). sust_emp_fs_or_both Percentage of graduates with a record or sustained employment, a record of further study, or both. total_earnings_num_included Number of matched graduates included in the total earnings calculations (graduates in PAYE employment or self-employment or both) total_LQ Total earnings lower quartile (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). total_median Median total earnings (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). total_UQ Total earnings upper quartile (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). prop The proportion of graduates within a particular current region from their respective provider. File: Adjusted earnings GB YAG Number of years after graduation. Provider_name Name of the provider ukprn_cleaned Unique identification code of the provider InstRegion Region where provider is based total_earnings_num_included Number of matched graduates included in the total earnings calculations (graduates in PAYE employment or self-employment or both). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. total_LQ Total earnings lower quartile (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. total_median Median total earnings (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. total_UQ Total earnings upper quartile (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. weighted_LQ Adjusted earnings lower quartile (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. weighted_median Median adjusted earnings (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. weighted_UQ Adjusted earnings upper quartile (PAYE earnings annualised, self-employment non annualised). Note that this excludes graduates whose current region is either abroad, missing or unknown. Tariff Provider tariff bands as taken from the ‘Widening participation in higher education: 2019’ publication.