11/05/2026
USW top in Wales for graduate start-ups for sixth year running🏆
The University of South Wales (USW) has once again cemented its reputation as Wales’ leading entrepreneurial university, retaining its position as number one in Wales for new graduate start-up businesses for the sixth consecutive year, according to the latest figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
The newly published 2024/25 HEBCIS data also places USW seventh in the UK for the number of new graduate businesses established – an achievement which highlights the University’s continued strength in supporting enterprise at both a Welsh and UK level.
USW also remains first in Wales for the total number of active graduate businesses, ranked fourth in the UK, with 717 graduate-led businesses currently trading – a position which reinforces its position as the ‘Entrepreneurial University of Wales’.
In addition, the University is now fifth in the UK for graduate businesses which have been trading for at least three years, underlining the sustainability and long-term impact of its start-up support.
Professor Osama Khan, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, said the results demonstrate USW’s sustained and strategic commitment to entrepreneurship.
“This is truly outstanding news and a moment of enormous pride for the University of South Wales,” Professor Khan said.
“To be recognised once again as top in Wales for new business start‑ups, and among the leading universities in the UK, is a powerful endorsement of our people and our purpose.
“I have always believed that creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking must be deeply embedded within the curriculum, not as optional extras but as essential skills for life and work, and this achievement speaks volumes about how successfully those capabilities now permeate our learning and teaching.
“What excites me most is not just the ranking, but what it represents: confidence, opportunity, and real economic impact for our communities.
“USW is proving, year after year, that we are an entrepreneurial university with ambition, compassion, and momentum, and I could not be more optimistic about what we will achieve next together.”
In 2024/25, USW supported the creation of 116 new graduate businesses, the highest total in Wales. These ventures span a wide range of sectors, including creative industries, digital media, design, health, sport, education and emerging technologies.
This continued success reflects a shared commitment across USW's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Startup Stiwdio, and USW Careers Enterprise, to provide students and graduates with a joined-up experience - combining specialist enterprise and incubation support with tailored careers guidance, mentoring, funding opportunities, workspace, and access to professional networks.
Together, and alongside strong links with regional, national, and international industry partners, they are helping the next generation of Welsh entrepreneurs turn ideas into thriving businesses.
Backing from Medr - which is responsible for funding and regulating the tertiary education sector in Wales - and the Welsh Government also plays an important role in enabling USW to deliver inclusive and accessible enterprise programmes which support freelancers, founders, and high-growth start-ups.
“USW's rise to first in Wales and seventh in the UK for graduate business starts is no accident. Behind the figures sits two years of deliberate curriculum work, embedding enterprise and entrepreneurship across 37 courses and upskilling 143 members of staff university-wide,” said Jonathan Jones, USW’s Entrepreneurship Development Manager.
“This has also included targeted support across the USW Group, with enhancement of activity at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Enterprise isn't a bolt-on at USW, It's part of how the university educates.
“And we don’t just encourage graduates to start an enterprise, but also have a range of initiatives which focus on increasing the survival rate of their businesses in the long-term, which, in turn, will create new jobs for the South Wales region.”
Dr Lyndsay Crompton (pictured), who now runs her own chiropractic business in Newport after completing a Masters degree at USW, said the University and its Startup Stwdio played a pivotal role in shaping both her professional development and the growth of her business.
“Through a strong academic foundation, it equipped me with the clinical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and confidence needed to deliver high-quality care to my patients,” she said.
“Beyond academics, the Stwdio fosters an entrepreneurial mindset by encouraging innovation, problem-solving, and independent thinking.
“The support from lecturers and mentors has been invaluable, offering guidance not only in clinical practice but also in navigating the challenges of starting and managing a business.
“Access to resources such as business workshops, networking opportunities, and new business startup advice helped me better understand branding, client relationships, and sustainable growth strategies.
“Overall, USW created an environment that supported my transition from student to practitioner and entrepreneur, empowering me to build a chiropractic business that is both patient-focused and commercially viable and profitable.”
