UniMore ranks top for employability and job quality

The University of Modena and Reggio Emilia has once again been recognised as one of the best large generalist universities in terms of employability, salaries and the quality of career outcomes. Five years after graduation, around 97 per cent of master’s degree graduates are in employment. In terms of salaries one year after graduation, Unimore tops the national Censis ranking for universities with between 20,000 and 40,000 students, with a net monthly salary of €1,586. These findings are revealed in the 28th edition of the AlmaLaurea 2026 report, which surveyed over 10,000 of the university’s former students.

Over the years, the Modena and Reggio Emilia university cluster has become a hub of knowledge and expertise of international standing, ensuring that students – thanks in part to its close links with the region’s business community – enjoy some of the highest salaries and employment rates in the country. According to Vice-Chancellor Rita Cucchiara, “this success is the result of an extraordinary synergy with a rich and dynamic local area, both in Modena and Reggio Emilia, which is able to welcome our graduates, who nevertheless prove themselves capable of establishing successful careers on an international level as well”.

Unimore’s effectiveness in meeting the needs of the labour market is borne out by AlmaLaurea’s findings. Among master’s graduates, the employment rate stands at 90 per cent one year after graduation. This figure is even more significant when compared with the regional and national averages, which stand at 84.5 per cent and 81 per cent respectively. Furthermore, five years after completing their master’s degree, three out of four employed graduates have a permanent contract. The picture is also positive for those who, having completed their bachelor’s degree, decide not to continue their studies. One year after graduation, the employment rate stands at 87 per cent, up from the 84.5 per cent recorded in the previous report. The regional average, by contrast, stands at 81 per cent.

Crucial to Unimore’s success is its collaboration with Confindustria Emilia, which acts as a genuine strategic lever for aligning educational programmes, technical skills and the labour demand of businesses, particularly in a region that boasts a high concentration of industry.

Sonia Bonfiglioli, president of Confindustria Emilia, explains that “the data on the employability of Unimore students confirm something that we, as the business community, have been observing for some time: when universities and businesses engage in ongoing, meaningful dialogue, value is created for young people, for companies and for the region as a whole”. According to Bonfiglioli, “companies today are looking for talent equipped to tackle the challenges of innovation, digitalisation and sustainability, and the university is a key partner in developing these skills”.