Universities UK on graduate outcomes
David Kernohan is Deputy Editor of Wonkhe
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Could you imagine a world in which 99 per cent of courses result in the overwhelming majority (as defined by an independent regulator) of graduates moving on to skilled employment or further study?
Despite everything you read to the contrary, that is the world in which we live. New research from Universities UK highlights the rarely heard reality that getting a degree is pretty much always a good life choice.
Drawing on Longitudinal Education Outcomes data, the report draws comparisons between longer term graduate outcomes and those of non-graduates with qualifications between level 3 (A levels) and level 5 (HNDs and suchlike).
There are small regional variations, but graduates are much more likely to be in paid employment by age 31 than their peers. Overall, non-graduates earn more than graduates before the age of 22 (while graduates are students, basically) – above this age (from 23 onwards) graduates begin to earn more. By the age of 31, your average graduate earns around £8,000 more a year – and this holds whatever your economic background.
Data on the impact of particular institutions is a little less robust, but Universities UK does note that studying at a higher education institution (as opposed to an FE college or alternative provider) appears to confer a benefit when it comes to median earnings and sustained employment or further study. There are also variations based on deprivation – if you’ve not accessed free school meals you are more likely to earn more and more likely to be in work or further study. There’s also a variation in the graduate premium based on your ethnicity.
If you heard Vivienne Stern on the Today programme (or have caught up with her exemplary twitter thread) you’ll be aware how this (excellent) research has been deployed in discussion around that ridiculous conservative policy proposal. Though numbers are low, apprenticeship outturns of level 3 and above will be included in the non-graduate components of this data.
Interesting analysis which confirms that those who achieve Level 3 qualifications have done better financially if they continue in education and achieve Level 6.
Worth remembering that only 61% of 19 year olds in England reach Level 3 which means that 39% of the young adult population is already out of this economic race.
Employment Or further study! The real figure for the majority of courses is around 60-70% in graduate employment.
Further Study means spend and loans, which may not result in well paid jobs.
Not sure why we are even comparing HE graduates with those without any HE education? As if this is a surprising great news that we are expected to celebrate.
Graduates of Business Studies for example, are not well paid 5 years after graduation. LEO data show that graduates of Business or Social Sciences subjects struggle to get £27k-£30k a per annum and mostly working in professions that don’t necessarily need a degree or unrelated to their qualifications.
Graduates leave universities with £60k- £100k debt + interest after spending 3-6 years of education.
This report is by UUK. All it is then, is an attempt to drum up more and more customers for their business’s. Surely the fact that UUK stand to gain financially by increases in HE participation should have been more prominently mentioned in the article?
And also, it is not able to draw any inference from this report at that higher & higher HE participation is good for society. I can explain the reason for this in the below analogy : –
Let’s say HE didn’t exist in its current Uni-based Academic format, and that there was only on-the-job apprenticeships available to further your career and education for 50% of school leavers (and all other school leavers just ‘got a job’ without the benefit of an apprenticeship offered by the employer) and they were awarded on the basis of academic ability , application and general work ethic etc. In this instance, all of the equivalent reports would show that there is an “Apprenticeship Premium” and advocates of Apprenticeships would claim that this proves that Apprenticeships are a universally good thing for society and that we should try to get higher than 50% into Apprenticeships. But it would prove no such thing. It would just show that if you organise society to encourage young adults who are ambitious, hard working and clever down a certain route whether it be HE or on the job apprenticeships, then those who follow that route , on average will do better.