One in five university students rank investment banking as their preferred career choice, research shows.
Publishing group GTI surveyed 20,000 students and found that 20 per cent would like to work in the investment sector.
Building and retail jobs were the least popular, the survey found.
Accountancy and professional services, and Information Technology were the most popular choices for students from minority ethnic backgrounds.
The study also revealed that nearly 40 per cent of students have either not started looking or done only a little research into their future careers.
When asked what was important in choosing between employers, most students placed a higher importance on training and development opportunities than starting salary.
But in finance and law, students were much more influenced by the reputation of the employer than those interested in other sectors.
"Competition for the best graduates remains as intense as ever, which is why employers spend so much each year to build and maintain their profiles on campus," said Chris Phillips, GTI's UK publishing editor.
"But how does the money they spend influence students in their choice of employer? The GTI Employer of choice survey gives students a voice and produces a definitive picture of who’s the most attractive graduate recruiter across 16 sectors of work."
Research conducted by consultancy firm Hay Group found that the average graduate starting salary was nearly 21,000.
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