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Graduate Outcomes Survey – HEI Guidance
This page provides guidance to the HEIs on how the survey should be carried. This includes codebooks, the survey questionnaire and files required for uploading the data.
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Last updated: 14 July 2025
The results of the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025 (Class of 2024) is available here.
Guidance for the 2026 survey (for 2025 graduates) is set out below. Please read the guidance carefully as there are some changes to the survey.
Guides, documentation and resources are available under various headings below. The most recent student data collection notice can be found here: 2025-2026 HEA Data Collection Notice. For previous reports, see Graduate Outcomes: Data & Reports.
1. Social Media Resources
A social media toolkit has been developed for the Graduate Outcomes Survey. This includes banners, logos, PPT templates and an email signature. These are available in varying colours and sizes. HEIs are welcome to add their own logos onto these social media resources.
2. Survey Guidance
The below outlines some background information on the Graduate Outcomes survey, detailing guidance for the Institutions.
3. Cohort to be surveyed
Details on the cohort to be surveyed are provided in the below document. This details definitions for “Continuing Graduates”, and the criteria for inclusion / exclusion of graduates in the survey.
4. Guidance on Occupation and Sector Coding
This document provides further guidance for survey respondents in employment relating to their occupation and sector of employment
5. Graduate Outcome Survey
This is the revised survey questionnaire for 2026 (2025 graduates).
6. Data Items
These are the data items that will be required. See also survey codebook (below) and XSD file (pending Q1 2026)
7. Graduate Outcomes Survey Codebook (2026)
This is the codebook for the 2026 Survey.
8. Change Log
This document lists the changes to the 2026 guidance, cohort to be surveyed, graduate survey, code book, and data items with comparison to the 2025 graduate survey.
9. Upload Instructions
You will require this XSD file to validate the uploaded XMl file containing the survey results.
If you experience issues accessing this file or require any further guidance, do not hesitate to contact the Graduate Outcomes Survey Team at graduatesurvey@hea.ie.
For further support required, contact graduatesurvey@hea.ie.