The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) has reinforced its position as one of the UK’s most desirable financial organisations that graduates want to work for, according to a list of Top 100 Ideal Employers independently compiled by Swedish research firm Universum.

In order to compile the Top 100 list, Universum surveys more than 10,000 British undergraduates on their perceptions, preferences and expectations in the world of work and asks them to select their ideal employers from a list of more than a hundred.

RBS’ 2011 ranking at number 21 represents a rise of more than 37 places in the last 12 months, making it the highest climber within the Business/Commerce and Financial Services categories. It joins other big name employers including Google and Apple who are also in the top 25.

Mike Maddick, Head of Graduate Resourcing said: “We feel enormously proud to be named by Universum as the highest climber within our category. Our high position demonstrates that the UK’s undergraduates view our graduate offering extremely positively, namely the opportunity to be part of the RBS turnaround as we work to deliver our strategic plan.

This time last year, Universum’s research indicated that the desirability of potential employers within the banking and finance sector had been negatively affected by the economic downturn. The fact that we are now being perceived so positively is a very encouraging sign for the future of both RBS and the sector more widely.”