Higher salaries and stronger employment lift Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University graduates ranked in the top six Australian universities for median undergraduate salaries in the latest Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching Graduate Outcomes Survey. CDU rose from 11th place in 2024.
CDU also beat the national result on jobs in 2025. Its full-time employment rate was 9.2 percentage points above the all-university average of 75.6%.
Employment at CDU increased from 89.3% in 2024 to 90.7% in 2025.
According to QILT, domestic higher education students complete the Graduate Outcomes Survey four to six months after finishing their studies. QILT measures short-term results including employment rates, salary outcomes, further study, skill use and overall satisfaction.
Professor Fiona Coulson, CDU’s Interim Vice-Chancellor and President, said the figures showed students could study in the Northern Territory and build careers close to home.
“These results reflect the strength of CDU’s approach to education, combining academic rigour with practical learning and strong industry connections to prepare graduates for successful careers,” Professor Coulson said.
She also linked the 2025 results to CDU’s industry partnerships. Those ties create placements, training and employment opportunities that help students build networks and move into the workforce.
Brooke Henry and Territory placements
Speech pathology graduate Brooke Henry was one example CDU highlighted from the 2025 survey period. Her degree included local and cultural learning for work across the NT and Australia.
Henry said Territory placements opened strong job pathways before graduation. She received multiple opportunities before finishing her degree and later worked with First Nations communities across the NT.
“I was offered many opportunities before I had even finished my degree,” Ms Henry said.
Following graduation, Henry took on work that involved flying out to communities across the Northern Territory. CDU used her experience to show how practical placements can lead to full-time roles soon after study.
Meanwhile, the survey only captures graduates four to six months after course completion. As a result, the 2025 figures measure early career outcomes rather than long-term earnings.
Even in that short window, CDU improved its salary ranking and lifted employment results in 2025. The gains placed the university among Australia’s top performers for graduate pay and job outcomes.
