UK graduates will earn record starting salaries when they leave university this summer, research has suggested.
However, they will also face tough competition for the top jobs, according to the High Fliers Research report.
Average starting salaries are likely to exceed £25,500 at the UK's top 100 firms - about 7 per cent or £1,700 more than last year.
Investment banks and law firms will offer the most generous starting salaries, with some expected to pay as much as £35,000, High Fliers Research said in their report.
The research also found that about 50 graduates will apply for each top job vacancy.
Managing director of High Fliers Research, Martin Birchall, said: "With 265,000 graduates expected to leave university in 2007, competition for places on the most prestigious graduate schemes is likely to be tougher than ever and many top employers expect to receive at least 50 applications for each of their vacancies.
"Record numbers of graduate vacancies at these popular organisations should help more of this year's university finalists land a well-paid job after graduation.
"But the recent expansion of employers' graduate programmes has not kept pace with the huge rise in the number of students going to university over the past decade."
IT and telecommunications will be the fastest-growing graduate sector this year, while the accountancy and professional services industry will still be the largest recruiter of graduates, the report added.
The average starting salary for graduates with a top degree was about £23,800 in 2006.
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