Study uni courses carefully: minister

As thousands of young Australians find out if they made the grade for their preferred university courses, the federal education minister is urging them to carefully research their options.

Students in NSW and the ACT will begin receiving first-round offers from Friday with other states to follow in coming weeks.

The 2017 national report into graduate outcomes, released on Friday, shows almost 30 per cent of students struggle to land full-time work within four months of graduation.

The survey found the employment prospects of some university courses were much better than others.

Graduates of more vocationally-oriented courses had greater success getting a job immediately upon graduation, Education Minister Simon Birmingham said.

Last year, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, teaching and business management undergraduates had the strongest employment rates.

Whereas undergraduates with more generalist degrees often took longer to gain a foothold in the workforce.

Undergraduates with degrees in creative arts, science, psychology and communications had the lowest rates of full-time employment.

Students who graduated from regional universities had a stronger employment rate than those in the cities.

The survey also identified an increased trend of graduates securing part-time work.

Senator Birmingham said it's important students take time to consider their options before taking the plunge.

"Accepting an offer can be a life-changing decision," Senator Birmingham said.

He said university students generally had the advantage of securing high paid and long-term employment once they graduated, however, trade apprenticeships were good pathways towards self employment.

"The world is your oyster once you leave high school," he told reporters in Adelaide.

He highlighted the government's quality indicators for learning and teaching (QILT) website as a one-stop shop for prospective students wanting to better understand university and course options, and what was most likely to help them land a job after graduation.