Good Uni Guide ranks Avondale #1 for full-time employment
Avondale University graduate Megan Wilson (BA/BTch, 2024) felt “very hopeful” about finding a job this year, particularly at schools where she completed placements. These “helped me meet principals and key staff members and helped the schools meet me.” Networking opportunities organised by the School of Education and Science gave her opportunities to ask questions of potential employers. Advice from lecturers helped, too. Megan is now a history teacher at Avondale School, which is down the road from the Lake Macquarie campus and “close to where I wanted to be living.” With a “great staff culture and awesome students, it is an incredible workplace.”
Students with experiences like Megan have ranked Avondale number one in Australia for full-time employment, according to the 2025 Good Universities Guide. This means the university has the highest proportion of undergraduates employed full-time four months after completing their courses. It further strengthens a reputation for producing in-demand, job-ready graduates.
A perennial shortage of nurses and teaches, courses of study in which Avondale specialises, is likely one factor. But another is the attitude of graduates, summarised in the university motto, “for a greater vision of world needs.” “Whether as nurses, teachers, business leaders, counsellors or ministers, our graduates want to make a difference, create better communities and serve others,” says vice-chancellor Professor Malcolm Coulson.
The other headline figures from The Good Universities Guide? Avondale is number two in Australia on the “Overall Educational Experience” measure, even after increasing its rating. It is also a top-two university for “Learner Engagement.”
At the course level, students rank nursing, teaching and arts as number one for “Overall Educational Experience.” The Bachelor of Nursing receives five-star ratings—granted to the top 20 per cent of providers—across all “The Educational Experience” measures. In addition to “Overall Educational Experience,” students rank the course top for “Learner Engagement,” “Skills Development,” “Student Support” and “Teaching Quality.”
Head of the School of Nursing and Health Tamera Gosling says the ratings reflect a focus on holistic care. “Our graduates are well placed to provide quality nursing care because our teaching is not just about how to meet physical needs but also meeting wider aspects such as psychosocial and spiritual needs. I believe our excellent ratings portray how staff members provide a learning experience centred on caring for the whole person—both the student during their course and the patient during their health care. Importantly, this stems from a commitment to Avondale’s values.”
The Good Universities Guide compares all 42 Australian universities across measures of student experience and graduate outcomes. Its ratings are pooled results from two government-endorsed surveys, which cover the student life cycle from commencement to employment. “They highlight the importance of providing personalised support to students, from staff members who care and want to see the students succeed,” says Coulson. “A service culture, derived from a personal belief in the redemptive nature of true education, is essential,” he adds.
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