Great Britain: government unveils incomes outlook for university graduates

On 23 January and in a first, the UK government published new data that will enable students to look at their prospects for earnings from each university. The numbers (here), allow prospective students to look at the earnings of graduates five years after they finish their studies based on the university they went to and the region they went on to work in, and in this way make more informed study choices. Universities Minister Chris Skidmore stated, “This data is a milestone for the thousands of future students, helping them to work out whether university is for them, and where to study and work.” According to the government, median salaries for UK graduates is £19,900 (€23,598) just one year after graduating, £23,000 (€27,630) three years after graduation, £26,000 (€30,929) five years after graduation, and finally £30,500 (€36,164) ten years after graduating. The Minister said, “It is important for young people to know that they will not only get a rich education at university, but that their degree will be good value for money,” before continuing, “I hope this will particularly help students from disadvantaged backgrounds to see the benefits, who are often more likely to stay in their home region,” and encouraged them to move in a bid to avail of a better future.