UK 300: top engineering, design and manufacturing employers
…as voted for by students and graduates
The UK 300 features the most comprehensive annual survey of student opinion on graduate careers, employers and their own job hunts; more than 71,000 students and graduates took part. The survey determines not only the most popular 300 graduate employers in the UK overall, but also the most popular graduate employers in a range of career sectors, including in engineering, design and manufacture.
The top graduate design and manufacture engineering employers are listed in the table below. Although there are two new entrants to the top ten, it is notable that the top five employers remain unchanged in their positions. Global manufacturers, particularly those that operate in aerospace, dominate the list.
Students interested in employers in this sector…
- are more likely than students interested in any other sector in our survey to investigate an employer’s track record on innovation: 40% thought ‘innovation’ was a ‘very important’ factor when choosing an employer, the highest percentage to do so
- are slightly less likely than the average student to have completed a one-to-six-month internship by their final year (37% of finalists had, versus 39%) – but are slightly more likely to have undertaken a placement year (21% versus 18%)
- are likely to be more entrepreneurial than the average student: 26% wanted to start up their own business during or straight after their studies, compared to a 23% average.
NB: Percentages have been rounded.

Rolls-Royce plc
Last year: 1
Engineering

British Airways
Last year: 2
Accountancy and financial management, Engineering, Aerospace, Electronic and electrical

Jaguar Land Rover
Last year: 3
Engineering

Airbus
Last year: 4
Engineering

Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd
Engineering

Boeing
Last year: 7
Aerospace

Dyson
Last year: 9
Consumer goods and FMCG, Engineering, IT and technology

Siemens
Last year: 10
Engineering, Electronic and electrical, Manufacturing, Mechanical
The Army
Public service, charity and social work
View related sector lists: Top construction, civil engineering and surveying graduate employers and Top energy and utilities graduate employers