Six years on top: UNSW graduates retain title of most employable

The Top 100 Future Leaders list names 37 UNSW Sydney students among Australia's most employable graduates.

UNSW Sydney has been named AFR Most Employable University at the 2025 Top 100 Future Leaders Awards ceremony, for the sixth consecutive year.

The University secured the highest number of students in the Top 100 Future Leaders list, reflecting their status as some of the most sought-after hires by employers, at the awards ceremony held in Sydney on February 13.

UNSW Vice-Chancellor & President Professor Attila Brungs said he was immensely proud of the UNSW graduates who were listed. 

“Seeing so many of our students making the Top 100 Future Leaders list reflects the talent, strong dedication to learning and ability to translate that into the workplace which typifies a UNSW student. I’m thrilled to see the focus these graduates have put into developing critical skills and experience has been honoured in these awards and look forward to seeing what the future holds for them,” Prof. Brungs said.  

UNSW Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education & Student Experience, Professor Sarah Maddison also extended her congratulations to the graduates listed. 

“Each and every one of the students listed should be incredibly proud of their achievements. The recognition of being a Top 100 Future Leader highlights their outstanding professionalism in pursuing industry-leading practices and skills, and making a positive impact in the workplace and community more broadly,” Prof. Maddison said. 

“These accolades also demonstrate the high-quality practical education provided by our academic and professional staff, who offer continuous support and motivation to our students throughout their studies. The academic programs and mentorship assist in empowering our students to become the workforce-ready graduates that future employers desire.” 

The Top 100 Future Leaders Awards, hosted by GradConnection, The Australian Financial Review and Chandler Macleod, aim to determine the top students emerging from Australia’s universities each year. The awards are open to all students studying at an Australian university into 2025. 

Students participate in a rigorous graduate recruitment process which offers the opportunity to develop application and communication skills, as well as exposing graduates to Australia’s top grad employers.

Award-winning talent recognised across key industries

Three UNSW students listed in the Top 100 were also category winners of highly competitive employer awards:

• Nathan Fok (B Commerce/B Laws), Clifford Chance Social Impact Top 100 Future Leader Award
• Lily Miranda (B Data Science and Decisions - Co-Op Scholar), Quantium Data Science Top 100 Future Leader Award
• Jaime Pitcher (B Commerce - Double Major: Marketing; Co-Op Scholar), Optus Business & Commerce Top 100 Future Leader Award. 

Other UNSW students named in Top 100 Future Leaders list include: Stephen Anastasiou, Ankit Attri, Shrey Bhagat, Carlos Brennan, Erik Buchholz, Celina Chin, Dean Fellner, Elke Giordano, Benjamin Godwin, Nicholas Griffith, Ishita Gupta, Molly He, Gabe Joseph, Joshua Kim, Xavier Klee, Parth Kothari, Asheel Kumar, Charlotte Last, Trevor Lau, Aaron Lee, Mandy Li, Jerry Lin, Justin Liu, Arnav Narula, Nicholas Ng, Jasmine O’Brien, Abhishek Pradeep, Kislay Rao, Nevil Shah, Raahat Shaik, Jia Wen Wong, Xihan Yuan, Sindy Zhang and Claire Zhou.

Nathan Fok, recipient of the Clifford Chance Social Impact Top 100 Future Leader Award, said the award was recognition of his long-lasting dedication to his legal career and various volunteering efforts.

“In the future, I hope to use my knowledge and experiences across law, finance and pro-bono work to deliver tangible social impact to non-profit organisations,” Mr Fok said.

“It’s my goal that by partnering with non-profit groups and driving new initiatives, particularly in the education sector, other individuals will also be able to better place themselves to lead and make a difference in the world.”

“The achievements of all 37 UNSW students in the Top 100 Future Leaders list are a testament of their drive to succeed in their chosen careers,” said Leah Hill, UNSW Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Success.

“UNSW celebrates our students' successes and will press on with our commitment to providing them with a solid foundation for their future careers. We are excited to witness the positive differences they will make in their workplaces and communities. We also recognise graduate employers' contributions to the success of our students. Their engagement in UNSW's employability initiatives provide pathways for our students in enhancing their skills and knowledge.”

The UNSW Business School Most Popular Business and Commerce Employer was EY and the UNSW Most Popular Graduate Employer was Capgemini.

More information about the awards, and individual profiles of the Top 100 Future Leaders, can be found on the GradConnection, opens in a new window website.