Data come from the two latest surveys conducted by AlmaLaurea in 2022: the Graduates’ Profile covering 281,095 graduates in the calendar year 2022 from universities participating in AlmaLaurea (response rate: 93.7%) and the Survey on Occupational Condition of Graduates. The latter involved around 670,000 first and second-level graduates of 78 universities contacted 1, 3 and 5 years after graduation (response rate: 73.2% among first and second-level graduates 1 year after graduation; 76.5% and 64.2% among second-level graduates 3 and 5 years after graduation respectively).

The latest AlmaLaurea 2022 graduates survey shows that 8.3% of graduates had a study experience abroad recognised by their university study programme. This experience is most likely part of the Erasmus+ programme. The most frequent destination country is Spain, chosen by 26.7% of those interested, followed by France (13.3%), Germany (10.1%) and Portugal (5.3%). The United Kingdom is most popular among the destination countries (4.0%) in non-European mobility experiences, followed by the USA (1.5%) and China (1.0%).

The study experiences abroad, recognised by the degree study programme, increase with the progression of the study levels and is most popular among students of the linguistic group (18.4%), while in all other disciplinary groups, the mobility concerns at most 13.0% of graduates.

As for employment outcomes, AlmaLaurea's surveys have been confirming for years that international mobility experiences for study purposes represent a “trump card” on the job market. Under equal circumstances, those who have completed a period of study abroad recognised by their degree programme are 12.3% more likely to enter in the labour market than those who have never completed an experience abroad.

One year from graduation, those working abroad represent 3.4% of bachelor’s graduates and 5.0% of master’s graduates. Five years from graduation, those working abroad represent 6.2% of bachelor’s graduates and 5.7% of master’s graduates.

Considering gender, AlmaLaurea data show a gap to the detriment of women: among bachelor’s graduates, the share of men who work abroad in 2022 is equal to 3.7%, compared to 3.2% of women (+0.5 percentage points); this gap increases considering master’s level graduates, among whom 5.8% of men are working abroad, compared to 4.4% among women (+1.4 percentage points).

As for the relationship between participation in international mobility programmes during studies and the propensity for international careers, AlmaLaurea data highlight that mobility calls for mobility: those who have had study experience abroad recognised by their study programme are more frequently employed abroad, already one year after obtaining the academic qualification, compared to those who have not had this experience. In fact, among bachelor’s graduates, the share of those working abroad rises to 17.8% for those who have carried out a period of study abroad recognized by their study programme, while among master’s graduates represents 13.5%, while the overall share of those working abroad is 3.4% and 5.0%, as we have already seen. Furthermore, those who have experienced mobility abroad for study reasons tend to choose the same country for job search.

With regards to the foreign graduate population, AlmaLaurea data, in line with the trends identified by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), show that in 2022 foreign graduates represented 4.3% of the total graduate population (in 2012 it was 3.0%). However, among them, those who obtained their high school diploma abroad and then came to Italy to complete their university studies account for just over half and represents 2.7% of all graduates. The most represented country is China (9.8%), followed by India (8.1%), Iran (7.6%), Turkey (4.2%), Russia (4.0%), Albania (3.8%) and Cameroon (3.5%).

AlmaLaurea data highlight the family background effects on mobility, by observing a phenomenon that impacts both outgoing and incoming mobility: students who come from more advantaged family backgrounds are those that are more likely to have study experiences abroad. When looking at the shares of those with non-graduate parents and those with both parents with an academic background, the value more than double, going from around 6% to around 14%. A similar incidence of family background is observed for the incoming students: most foreign citizen graduates in Italy who obtained their secondary-school diploma abroad has both parents with an academic background 30.6% (11.8% for Italian citizen graduates).