Get inspiration from our survey of the top 200 employers that school students in the UK say they’d most like to work for, as featured in our publication TARGETcareers Guide to your future.
TARGETcareers Guide to your future gives straightforward explanations of the different options for students when they leave school, including university, apprenticeships, professional qualifications and more. It contains more information on the top 200 employers for school leavers listed below, as well as the stories of school leavers already working there.
Laing O’Rourke
Last year: 191
Construction and property, Civil and structural engineering, Construction and building services engineering, Engineering, Science
up
RSM
Last year: 117
Business, Finance, Accountancy
up
1
NHS
Last year: 1
same
2
BBC
Last year: 2
same
3
Warner Bros
6
MI6 – Secret Intelligence Service
Last year: 5
down
6
ITV
Last year: 4
down
8
Apple
Last year: 5
down
10
Teach First
Last year: 11
up
11
Microsoft
Last year: 8
down
12
Civil Service Fast Stream
Last year: 17
Business, Public sector and charity
up
13
The Army
Last year: 27
Engineering, IT and technology, Public sector and charity, Armed forces
up
14
Rolls Royce plc
Last year: 35
Engineering
up
15
GSK
Last year: 13
Healthcare and veterinary medicine, Science
down
17
MI5 - The Security Service
Last year: 9
down
17
HM Revenue and Customs
Last year: 19
up
18
Barclays
Last year: 12
down
20
Channel 4
Last year: 7
down
21
Jaguar Land Rover
Last year: 20
Engineering, Finance
down
22
Ubisoft
Last year: 15
down
23
British Airways
Last year: 22
down
24
BAE Systems
Last year: 21
Business, Engineering, Finance, IT and technology
down
25
Cancer Research UK
Last year: 26
up
26
Mercedes-Benz
Last year: 33
up
27
J.P. Morgan
Last year: 31
up
29
The Royal Navy
Last year: 44
up
29
AstraZeneca
Last year: 28
Business, HR, Medicine and healthcare, Engineering, Finance, IT and technology, Science
down
30
Amazon
Last year: 45
up
31
Heathrow Academy
Last year: 48
up
32
Samsung
Last year: 34
up
33
Airbus
Last year: 29
Engineering, Finance
down
35
BMW Group
Last year: 30
down
37
TUI UK & Ireland
Last year: 62
Business, Hospitality and travel
up
38
Bentley
Last year: 54
up
39
Deloitte
Last year: 38
Finance, Investment management, Banking, Accountancy
down
40
Local Government – NGDP
Last year: 41
up
41
Amnesty International
Last year: 23
down
42
Hilton Worldwide
Last year: 55
up
43
PwC
Last year: 39
Business, HR, Management consulting, Marketing, Finance, Investment management, Insurance and actuarial, Banking, Accountancy, IT and technology
down
44
HSBC Bank Plc
Last year: 36
Finance, Investment management, Banking
down
45
Penguin Random House
Last year: 24
down
47
Virgin Media
Last year: 51
IT and technology
up
47
Dyson
Last year: 46
down
48
Oxfam
Last year: 40
down
49
Sony
Last year: 43
down
50
Lloyd’s
Last year: 60
Finance
up
51
Lloyds Banking Group
Last year: 46
Finance
down
51
Police
Last year: 7
down
52
Adidas group
Last year: 61
up
53
Santander
Last year: 81
Banking
up
54
L'Oreal
Last year: 87
up
55
Aston Martin
Last year: 14
down
56
Pfizer
Last year: 58
up
57
Intel
Last year: 49
down
59
Environment Agency
Last year: 63
up
60
GCHQ
Last year: 65
up
60
Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd
Last year: 50
down
61
Arcadia Group
Last year: 152
Retail, buying and fashion
up
61
The Royal Air Force
Last year: 19
down
62
Harrods
Last year: 47
down
63
Bank of England
Last year: 71
Finance, Banking, Public sector and charity
up
65
Bank of America
Last year: 108
Finance, Investment management, IT and technology
up
66
Boots
Last year: 53
Business, HR, Marketing, Engineering, Finance
down
67
Starbucks
Last year: 67
same
68
Debenhams
Last year: 56
down
69
Merlin Entertainments plc
Last year: 64
down
69
Travelodge
Last year: 95
up
70
British Council
Last year: 73
up
71
John Lewis Partnership
Last year: 71
same
73
Roche
Last year: 125
up
74
Volkswagen Group UK
Last year: 52
down
76
Visa
Last year: 98
up
77
McDonald's Restaurants Ltd
Last year: 122
Business, Hospitality and travel, Retail, buying and fashion
up
78
Irwin Mitchell
Last year: 84
Law
up
79
National Audit Office
Last year: 64
Finance, Accountancy, Public sector and charity, Central and local government
down
80
Clifford Chance
Last year: 90
Law
up
81
Nationwide
Last year: 47
down
82
DSTL
Last year: 126
Engineering, Public sector and charity, Science
up
83
Marks & Spencer
Last year: 76
Retail, buying and fashion
down
84
Whitbread Group
Last year: 91
up
84
Aldi
Last year: 124
Business, Retail, buying and fashion
up
86
Slaughter and May
Last year: 83
down
87
Next
Last year: 82
down
88
Ford
Last year: 96
Engineering
up
89
American Express
Last year: 69
down
90
Allen & Overy LLP
Last year: 70
Law
down
91
Coca Cola European Partners
Last year: 89
down
92
Linklaters LLP
Last year: 148
up
93
Network Rail
Last year: 99
Construction and property, Insurance and actuarial
up
94
Tesco
Last year: 88
Retail, buying and fashion
down
95
Siemens
Last year: 75
down
96
Morgan Stanley
Last year: 78
down
97
Nissan
Last year: 109
up
98
Marriott International
Last year: 120
up
99
National Grid
Last year: 72
Engineering
down
100
Unilever
Last year: 119
Business, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, IT and technology, Science
up
101
Transport for London
Last year: 97
Engineering
down
101
Deutsche Bank
Last year: 85
Finance, Banking
down
103
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
Last year: 100
down
104
Last year: 80
down
105
Sainsbury's
Last year: 93
down
107
Abercrombie & Fitch
Last year: 59
down
109
EE
Last year: 106
IT and technology, Retail, buying and fashion
down
110
Reckitt Benckiser
Last year: 158
up
112
Nestlé
Last year: 92
down
113
Cisco
Last year: 105
down
114
Arup
Last year: 137
Construction and property, Civil and structural engineering, Engineering
up
115
Clyde & Co
118
Balfour Beatty
Last year: 104
Construction and property, Civil and structural engineering, Construction and building services engineering
down
119
Asda
Last year: 118
down
122
Bosch
Last year: 157
up
123
Citi
Last year: 136
up
125
Kennedys
Last year: 121
down
126
Shell
Last year: 117
down
126
Fidelity International
Last year: 120
Finance
down
127
Grant Thornton
Last year: 101
Finance
down
128
Co-operative Bank
Last year: 170
up
129
WSP
Last year: 153
Engineering
up
130
Mars
Last year: 150
up
131
Travis Perkins
Last year: 161
up
132
Eversheds Sutherland LLP
Last year: 147
up
133
Pinsent Masons
Last year: 141
up
134
DLA Piper LLP
Last year: 174
up
135
Kier Group
Last year: 193
up
136
Co-operative Group Ltd
Last year: 144
up
137
Burger King
Last year: 166
up
138
Ashfords
Last year: 132
down
139
Royal Mail Group plc
140
HS2
Last year: 168
up
141
Allianz
Last year: 110
down
142
Lidl
Last year: 156
up
143
BP
Last year: 116
Engineering, IT and technology, Science
down
144
Capgemini
Last year: 138
Business, Management consulting, IT and technology
down
145
UBS
Last year: 168
up
145
Aviva
Last year: 116
Finance
down
146
Financial Conduct Authority
Last year: 75
Finance
down
147
HP
Last year: 115
down
148
TJX Europe (TK Maxx & Homesense)
Last year: 113
Retail, buying and fashion
down
149
Capital One
Last year: 155
up
150
AECOM
Last year: 129
Construction and property, Civil and structural engineering, Construction and building services engineering, Surveying, Engineering
down
151
Dentons
Last year: 133
down
152
Osborne Clarke
153
InterContinental Hotels Group
Last year: 179
up
154
Great Western Railway
Last year: 134
down
155
EDF Energy
Last year: 112
down
156
Burges Salmon
157
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Last year: 172
up
158
ARM
Last year: 124
down
159
Reed Smith
Last year: 107
down
160
Greene King
161
Morrisons Plc
Last year: 189
Business, Retail, buying and fashion
up
162
Baker McKenzie LLP
Last year: 169
up
163
Credit Suisse
Last year: 140
Business, Finance, Banking
down
164
Barratt Developments
Last year: 159
down
165
BlackRock
Last year: 178
up
166
Womble Bond Dickinson
Last year: 177
up
167
UK Power Networks
Engineering
168
Fujitsu
Last year: 175
up
169
Bird & Bird
Last year: 131
down
170
BDO LLP
Last year: 127
Business, Finance, Accountancy
down
171
Charles Russell Speechlys
172
Thales
Last year: 173
Engineering, IT and technology
up
173
O2 (Telefonica Group)
Last year: 114
down
174
Alfa
Last year: 164
down
174
Mott MacDonald
Last year: 146
down
176
SSE
Last year: 160
Construction and property, Engineering, IT and technology
down
177
Frontline
Last year: 163
down
179
Atkins
Last year: 145
Civil and structural engineering, Construction and building services engineering, Surveying, Engineering
down
180
AXA
Last year: 187
up
181
Ashurst
182
3M UK
183
Shoosmiths
184
Mencap
Last year: 162
down
185
Mazars
Last year: 175
Finance, Accountancy
down
185
Moore Stephens
Accountancy
186
M&G Investments
Last year: 151
down
187
RPC
Law
188
Skanska
Engineering
189
PA Consulting Group
190
BAM
Last year: 123
Civil and structural engineering, Construction and building services engineering, Engineering
down
192
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Last year: 198
up
193
Jacobs
194
Vodafone
Last year: 139
Business, IT and technology
down
195
Leonardo
Last year: 184
down
196
Hogan Lovells
Last year: 154
down
197
Hargreaves Lansdown
Last year: 191
down
198
Taylor Wessing
199
Yorkshire Building Society (YBS Group)
200