More to graduate earnings than just a degree

Responding to a report published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies for the Department for Education - which shows that a degree boosts a person's earning potential by £100K on average over their lifetime - UCU said many factors influenced graduate earnings and that better careers advice and an overhaul of university admissions could help level the playing field

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: 'A university education offers a clear earnings boost for graduates, but it is vital to recognise that education is about much more than just financial benefit. Focussing on future income following university ignores the wider benefits that education brings to individuals and to society.
 
'Earnings potential is also heavily impacted by factors such as an individual's background, their parents' jobs, their gender, where they are from and where they live after graduating. If policy makers and government want to level the playing field and ensure that future generations of students are not hindered by social background, then improving careers advice and introducing a fairer system of university admissions are key steps towards reducing these persistent inequalities.'