High numbers of graduates will be competing for a smaller number of graduate positions, according to new results from High Fliers Research.
Their survey suggested that the 265,000 students who graduate next summer will between them be chasing 95,000 jobs specifically seeking graduates.
Although average graduate salaries are expected to rise by 7.1 per cent to £25,000, there will be around 50 applicants for each of the positions in top graduate schemes.
This year there will be a short fall of 75,000 jobs, compared to the short fall of 25,000 jobs back in 1997.
Martin Birchall, managing director of High Fliers Research, commented: "It may cause some graduates to question whether it was really worth going to university."
Investment banks and the armed forces, followed by accountancy firms are set to recruit the largest numbers of graduates and the IT sector will be expanding its graduate intake most rapidly.
Graduate employers plan to target graduates from the leading ten or 20 universities.
Graduate unemployment figures were higher than the national rate back in 2005 and student debts are rising year on year, raising questions of the value of university education.
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