The research gathered the experiences of 66 graduate employers including Accenture, ExxonMobil and HSBC, who recruit university students for year-long or summer placements.
It found the most popular reason for offering work experience was recruitment into graduate roles (80 per cent).
Of the proportion of students offered graduate roles, an average of 70 per cent accepted.
Scott Foley, survey co-ordinator, said this highlighted the confidence that both employers and students have in work experience in determining their future employment relationship.
"The survey highlights just how important work experience has become to graduate recruiters, not just as a development tool, but also as a recruitment method in its own right," he said.
"Recruiters are using work experience as a way of accessing graduate talent early, and the results show that they stand a very good chance of gaining student commitment ahead of the 'milkround' in their final year," said Foley.
