Three In Four U.K. Students Say University Helped Get Their Ideal Job

Three in four students say that going to university helped them get the job they wanted, according to a new survey.

And those who are the first in their family to go to university have a higher average starting salary than those whose parents also have a degree.

The findings come at a time when the U.K. Government is seeking to clampdown on what it describes as ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees, despite evidence that the students who benefit the most from the supposed low-value courses tend to be from disadvantaged backgrounds and have the most to gain from going to university.

And at the same time, some of the U.K.’s leading universities are warning that financial pressures may force them to recruit increasing numbers of international students at the expense of U.K. students.

Almost three quarters (73%) of U.K. graduates say they found a job that reflected their ambitions within a year of leaving university, according to a survey of graduates for higher education umbrella body Universities U.K.

A similar number (78%) say the support their received at university helped them get a job, and 64% said going to university had improved their job security.

University can also have an impact on social mobility for those with no family background of going into higher education, the survey found.

Students who were the first in their family to go to university earned 10% more in their first job than peers whose parents also have degrees.

The rising cost of tuition and a tight jobs market that sees many graduates forced to accept non-graduate jobs has cast doubt on the value of a degree in recent years, but today’s findings suggest that many still see going to university as worthwhile.

Em Green, the first in her family to go to university, has embarked on a career as a graphic designer after graduating from Derby University.

“University created space for me to find a career I really love, develop and grow new skills, make industry connections, and gain tangible experience through placements,” she says.

“I can say with certainty that if I had not attended university, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Business leaders also had a positive view of university, with seven in 10 (71%) saying it helps graduates build transferable skills.

And 97% say graduates reach managerial positions faster, as a direct result of going to university, according to the survey, which polled 3,500 graduates and 3,500 business leaders.

Six in 10 business leaders who were the first in their family to go to university say it helped them become senior faster, while just over half (51%) say it helped fast-track their career.

The research demonstrates how much graduates stand to gain by going to university, according to Vivienne Stern, Universities U.K. chief executive.

“The benefits captured by this research are numerous – from job security and career ambitions, to earnings and social mobility,” she says.

“Our universities play a powerful role in helping graduates forge successful career paths that can help return the U.K. economy to growth and continue to power our public services.”

Universities have come under increasing pressure to demonstrate their value in recent years, both from policy makers and from graduates themselves.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to crackdown on perceived low-value degrees, a move that is widely seen as an attempt to reduce expenditure on student loans at the same time as pandering to middle class voters.

And just yesterday, the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, which includes Oxford and Cambridge, warned that they will be increasingly forced to turn away U.K. students in favor of higher paying international students.

Graduates themselves are also entitled to be increasingly concerned about whether a degree represents value for money, with recent research suggesting more than a third (36%) are overqualified for their roles.