The Times UK top companies award is back with its list of top graduate employers with 3 of the “Big 4″ firms - PwC, Deloitte and KPMG occupying the top 3 spots in the 2008 Top 100 Graduate Employers list.

The list is determined through a research conducted by High Flyers Research, where more than 15,000 graduating students in the United Kingdom were interviewed and assessed on their perception of best companies to work for.

The public and civil service also prove to be popular among the graduates, with two of the public sector organizations making it to the top 10.

The top 10 companies in the 100 top graduate employers list:

1. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

PwC takes the top spot for its second year in a row, and is set to continue stamping its authority for many years to come. Its biggest revenues are contributed by its Europe and North America operations, with as much as 80% generated from the two accounts. PwC audits the largest companies in United States, United Kingdom and a host of other major countries worldwide.

2. Deloitte

Deloitte is headquartered in New York, and also has major presence in Europe, Asia and Australia. Its huge base of clients range from many industries including banking, aerospace, financial services, media, pharmaceutical, retail and public sector. In the Top Employer MBA Graduates 2008 list published by Fortune, Deloitte was ranked 9th and was the only audit firm which made it to the top ten.

3. KPMG

Not to be outdone by its competitors PwC and Deloitte, KMPG also proves its mettle by following the two companies closely. With operation in more than 100 countries worldwide, the company offers audit, advisory and tax services to the public, private and multinational corporations. KPMG was also included in the list of Top 50 Places Where Women Want to Work by The Times.

4. Civil Service

Civil service, which is the single largest employer in United Kingdom, has its huge base of fans too. About half a million people now works with the government, serving various offices and departments across the nation. The civil service also has what they call it as the Fast Stream entry scheme which offers selected graduates with accelerated development and training program.

5. BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

BBC, or the British Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the world’s largest broadcasting companies at the moment. Its United Kingdom operation has close to 30,000 employees covering all major facets of media and broadcasting including journalism, audio and music, strategy, marketing, finance, training and development, and many more.

6. NHS

One of the other two in the public sector, after the civil service. NHS or the National Health Services was set up to provide healthcare services to those residing in the United Kingdom, including foreign students and workers. Striving for quality service has been the pillar of NHS operation and as such it became too popular that only less than 10% of the population use private health care providers.

7. Accenture

The worldwide known, and arguably the world’s largest consulting firm needs little introduction. Close to 200,000 employees are now working with Accenture, serving their clients in over 50 countries worldwide. Accenture was a result of a tussle between two competing firms, Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting, which saw the former forced to change its name to Accenture.

8. HSBC

HSBC is a British corporation whose operation was first conceived in China and Hong Kong, with its global headquarter now is located in London. In terms of market capitalization, HSBC is ranked as the third largest bank in the world for 2008, behind the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), China and Bank of America, United States. It is also presently the biggest bank in Europe.

9. Aldi

The German-based discount supermarket chain made an impressive entry to the top 10 this year, from its previous position of 12th. Globally, Aldi operates in France, UK, Austria, United States and Australia. Aldi’s co-founder, Karl Albrecht, who recently sold its interest in the company, was ranked the 10th richest man in the world for 2008, behind Oleg Deripaska of Russia and KP Singh of India.

10. Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs is a New York based international investment banking, management and securities, with London as another of their key office. It offers advisory, underwriting and consulting services to private corporations, governments and independent entities. Goldman Sachs leverages its aggressive recruiting campaign to attract top graduates to join the company.

Other posts you may want to read:

1. UK University Ranking 2009 (11-20)
2. 20 Best Big Companies To Work in the UK
3. 30 Best Companies for Internship
4. The Highest Paid CEOs in 2008
5. Top 10 Medical Schools in the United States (2008/09)