PROSPECTS for graduates of the University of Bolton are the worst in the country, a new poll has found.

According to The Times Good University Guide 2012, the university also fared badly in its ranking, coming 114 out of the country’s 116 universities.

But Professor Robert Campbell, pro vice chancellor (academic), said he believed that across the board the university’s “record is a good one”.

He added: ”The university believes that all its programmes should prepare students to be effective professionals who are highly employable. Employability is now a core element in its new curriculum framework.

“It’s true that the university does not score highly in the usual league tables, but these measure the performance of only a very narrow group of our students.”

Less than half of its graduates are successful in taking up graduate-level employment or further study within six months of graduation. The university’s figures of just 45.4 per cent of students securing jobs placed it at the bottom of the table.

Rankings are measured by different factors, including student satisfaction, research quality, the money spent on facilities and services and graduate prospects.

The guide recognises that the university “exceeds all the access measures designed to widen participation in higher education”.

But it added: “The downside — and an important one — is that the dropout rate remains the highest in England.”

Prof Campbell said the university was making improvements, and added: “We are expanding the number of work placements, internships and opportunities for work-based learning available to all our students.”