Heriot-Watt ranks as Scotland’s best university for landing a Big Four Accounting job

These Scottish universities give you the best chance of working for a Big Four Accounting Firm

• Heriot-Watt University ranks as the best Scottish university for landing a job at a Big Four Accountancy Firm, with 991 graduates working for PwC, Deloitte, EY or KPMG.
• University of St. Andrews and The University of Edinburgh rank second and third respectively in Scotland.
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) ranks as the best university in the UK for landing a Big Four job.

Heriot-Watt University ranks as the best Scottish university for landing a role at a Big Four Accounting Firm (PwC, Deloitte, EY and KPMG) according to a new analysis of LinkedIn data.

As undergraduates return for their final year of university this Autumn, many will have their mind set on a career with some of the UK’s largest and most reputable graduate employers.

However, as places for these graduate roles become more competitive, many will be wondering how their university stacks up in terms of career prospects.

Online trading platform and broker CMC Markets, analysed LinkedIn data for the Big Four Accounting Firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY) and KPMG, to see where their current employees most commonly attended university.

The analysis looked at the UK’s top 60 universities, including all 24 that are members of the Russell Group, to see which universities have the most graduates working for a Big Four Accounting Firm. The figures were also calculated as a proportion of each university’s enrolment size, based on student enrolment for the 2020/21 academic year according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Scotland Universities ranked for Big Four Accounting Jobs

1. Heriot-Watt University – 991 graduates (8.8% of enrolment size)

Heriot-Watt University ranks as the best Scottish university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four, with a total of 991 university graduates currently employed across these firms. When accounting for the number of students enrolled in a typical academic year at Heriot-Watt, this works out at 8.8% of the total enrolment size placing it top of any Scottish university in the list and 10^th overall in the UK.

2. University of St. Andrews – 927 graduates (8.1% of enrolment size)

University of St. Andrews ranks the second-best Scottish university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a total of 927 graduates currently employed across these firms, which works out at 8.1% of the total enrolment size. St. Andrews ranks 12^th overall in the UK in terms of graduates in Big Four Accounting roles.

3. The University of Edinburgh – 1,983 graduates (5.2% of enrolment size)

The University of Edinburgh ranks as Scotland’s third best university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a larger total of 1,983 graduates currently employed across these firms, which works out at 5.2% of the total enrolment size. Edinburgh ranks 33^rd overall in the UK in terms of graduates in Big Four Accounting roles.

4. University of Strathclyde – 1,202 graduates (4.9% of enrolment size)

University of Strathclyde ranks as Scotland’s fourth best university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a total of 1,202 graduates currently employed across these firms, working out at 4.9% of the total enrolment size. Strathclyde ranks three spots behind at 36^th overall in the UK.

5. University of Aberdeen – 580 graduates (3.6% of enrolment size)

University of Aberdeen ranks as Scotland’s fifth best university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a total of 580 graduates currently employed across these firms, working out at 3.6% of the total enrolment size. Aberdeen ranks 40^th overall in the UK.

6. University of Glasgow – 1,339 graduates (3.6% of enrolment size)

University of Glasgow ranks as Scotland’s sixth best university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a total of 1,339 graduates currently employed across these firms, also working out at 3.6% of the total enrolment size. Glasgow ranks 41^st overall in the UK.

7. University of Stirling – 293 graduates (2.0% of enrolment size)

University of Stirling ranks as Scotland’s seventh best university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a total of 293 graduates currently employed across these firms, working out at 2.0% of the total enrolment size. Stirling ranks 51^st overall in the UK.

8. University of Dundee – 279 graduates (1.7% of enrolment size)

University of Dundee ranks as Scotland’s eight best university to attend if you want to pursue a career at the Big Four. The university has a total of 279 graduates currently employed across these firms, working out at 1.7% of the total enrolment size. Dundee ranks 53^rd overall in the UK, nearing the bottom of the list.

Top UK Universities for Big Four Accounting Jobs

1. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) – 5,776 graduates (42.9% of enrolment size)

2. University of Cambridge – 3,401 graduates (15.4% of enrolment size)

3. Oxford Brookes University – 2,355 graduates (13.2% of enrolment size)

4. Durham University – 2,702 graduates (13.1% of enrolment size)

5. University of Lancaster – 1,732 graduates (9.9% of enrolment size)

University ranking by percentage of alumni who list themselves on LinkedIn as working for a Big Four firm

Rank	UK University	PwC Employees	Deloitte Employees	EY Employees	KPMG Employees	Total	Total student enrolment (for the 20/21 academic year)	Number of alumni working at The Big Four as a percentage of current enrolment size
1.	London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)	1,494	1,798	1,477	1,007	5,776	13,455	42.9%
2.	University of Cambridge	893	1,057	844	607	3,401	22,155	15.4%
3.	Oxford Brookes University	563	559	809	424	2,355	17,795	13.2%
4.	Durham University	754	794	588	566	2,702	20,645	13.1%
5.	University of Lancaster	466	435	497	334	1,732	17,470	9.9%
6.	University of Warwick	761	810	614	527	2,712	28,110	9.6%
7.	University of Oxford	661	856	546	504	2,567	27,150	9.5%
8.	Queen’s University Belfast	1,149	488	416	286	2,339	25,365	9.2%
9.	University of Bath	480	500	406	322	1,708	18,555	9.2%
10.	Heriot-Watt University	255	273	270	193	991	11,200	8.8%
11.	University of Nottingham	919	849	625	650	3,043	35,785	8.5%
12.	University of St. Andrews	283	276	202	166	927	11,485	8.1%
13.	Imperial College London	457	545	371	332	1,705	21,370	8.0%
14.	University of Bristol	717	655	515	476	2,363	29,785	7.9%
15.	The University of Manchester	987	1,001	770	729	3,487	44,635	7.8%
16.	University of Birmingham	858	796	576	667	2,897	37,750	7.7%
17.	SOAS University of London	116	138	95	101	450	5,865	7.7%
18.	University of Southampton	423	529	337	308	1,597	21,395	7.5%
19.	University of Leeds	881	717	568	544	2,710	36,840	7.4%
20.	Loughborough University	411	379	290	260	1,340	18,335	7.3%
21.	University of Exeter	620	632	467	472	2,191	30,250	7.2%
22.	Queen Mary University of London	415	526	376	348	1,665	23,870	7.0%
23.	University College London (UCL)	861	999	703	544	3,107	45,715	6.8%
24.	Newcastle University	660	476	366	311	1,813	27,775	6.5%
25.	University of Leicester	272	325	234	181	1,012	16,100	6.3%
26.	Royal Holloway, University of London	210	237	165	127	739	12,295	6.0%
27.	King’s College London	576	699	554	470	2,299	38,445	6.0%
28.	Ulster University

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