In the UK, do you think University and degrees are worth it?

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notmenotyoutoo@reddit

My daughter did a fashion marketing degree which on paper seems useless and after internships and no real jobs she’s doing some quite big freelance commissions as a graphic designer on top of her restaurant manager job, and hopefully will get bigger gigs and maybe a full time role eventually.

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TeamOfPups@reddit

I always knew I was putting in four years of effort with the main outcome only being that I could write one line on my CV - 2:1 from Edinburgh University.

But that line got my CV through the sift, my extra curriculars got me through the interviews, I got on a graduate scheme in London, and had an enjoyable and decently paid career.

Also I met lifelong friends, I met my husband, I went out clubbing three nights a week, I joined societies and got involved with student union stuff, I liked my course. It was an amazing time in my life. Very very happy memories.

I only paid £4k in fees but looking back it would've been worth current fees both socially and financially. You can't know that at the time though eh. It's a gamble.

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GabberZZ@reddit

My wife took Theology and Drama.

I joked it would only be useful for her to Direct Jesus Christ Superstar.

Both degrees have been useless in her career but she is an am-dram director/actor so there is that I guess.

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1968Bladerunner@reddit

Following 8 years with a local engineering company, I was all set to go to Uni to do an IT degree as a mature student @ 24, but ended up starting my business with just an HNC qualification instead. Going would have meant uprooting & moving 250 miles, selling all my accumulated household stuff, & working for living money while studying - albeit the education itself would have been free.

In early discussions with my local enterprise company they said no-one would take me or my business seriously without a degree to back up my hobbyist abilities.

Yet in my 32 years running the business, no one asked if I'm qualified - let alone have a degree. As long as I was able to resolve their issues, or supply their IT needs, they were happy.

In that time I've bought & fully paid for a house, raised 2 kids, cleared a heap of marital debt, & all but retired at 50.

I've wondered whether I'd have been any better off had I taken the other path... financially maybe, as I could command a degree-worthy salary when 90s IT jobs were coining it in, but mentally? Emotionally? Personally? Let's say I'm content the way it worked out for me.

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YouSayWotNow@reddit

Some are, especially those related to specific professions or jobs which need high level knowledge of specific subjects. But far less now than they used to be 30-40 years ago, given the high debt that most people have to incur to obtain them.

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ihavetakenthebiscuit@reddit

Some degrees are worth it and can truly lead to social mobility. A lot of them are not worth it for the return on investment.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

In this day and age, what would you assume those would be? I feel sorry for the people just finishing tech related degrees at the moment!

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Cultural_Tank_6947@reddit

Medicine. Always medicine.

But there's always going to be enough engineering degrees that university gives you a heads up.

Same if you want to work on academia.

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shadowhunter742@reddit

Oh don't try and get into engineering right now lmao.

Like seriously. Of my year of 60 I think one or two have jobs in engineering, most people are still looking/in other employment because the markets so shit right now.

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Cultural_Tank_6947@reddit

Depends on how specialised you're going. Most engineers in the UK don't do any engineering.

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shadowhunter742@reddit

I mean that's very true, but when the requirements a degree + a few years experience for barely more than min wage good luck getting into it.

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Past-Obligation1930@reddit

Chemical Engineering.

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BloodsnCryptos@reddit

Lol absolutely not - unless you have contacts in the US

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yepyep5678@reddit

Maybe not in the UK

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Past-Obligation1930@reddit

You don’t have to stay in the UK! It’s on the shortage occupation list basically everywhere.

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crispycat40@reddit

Teaching.

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hornsmasher177@reddit

Economics, accounting, anything financial really.

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melancholyy-scorpio@reddit

Anything with a direct career. For example, medicine will get you into medicine.

Avoid anything with transferrable skills that don't have a direct career, for example anything English related. I did English Lang and ended up doing a Level 3 (GCSE level!) apprenticeship in marketing.

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fuck_peeps_not_sheep@reddit

I love my sister but her degree in art and fashion have done her no good - my brother study’s music but is also in a band making money, we will see how that pans out long term - my mums degree in criminal physiology has been really useful to her job - my degree in social care helped get me a job but the pay is shit.

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Quiet_surprise79@reddit

I'm not using my degrees but that is largely down to mental health. I'll likely retrain to get myself back into work.

If I never ever get a proper job in the field of my first degrees, I still won't regret doing them because I absolutely love the subject, and finding out that I'm not bad at science totally changed my (very harmful, previously) view of myself. Turns out I'm not incredibly stupid.

It probably would have been worth it in career terms if I chose the right route. There are a tonne of underpaid roles in my subject area but some very lucrative ones higher up the chain too. The jump to the higher ones would have been relatively easy with my knowledge base.

Doing my degrees was absolutely worth it to me, even if I didn't end up in a lucrative role in the discipline. If I get the chance to study more in this area in the future, I absolutely will, regardless of which field I'm working in.

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coffeewalnut08@reddit

I found it worth it for my intellectual and socio-cultural development, but it doesn’t guarantee a good job the way that leaderships have claimed.

I think universities should be mandated to provide every student a work placement/internship relevant to their studies.

I also think we should send more funding to further education/vocational colleges specialising in trades. The trades are chronically short on staff with very few young people coming in.

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OrganizationOk5418@reddit

Yes, education is important.

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OilAdministrative197@reddit

Not really but it’s even less worth it to not have one a lot of the time. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

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Front_Scholar9757@reddit

I've got a "pointless" degree (BSc Geography). Yet I wouldnt have got my first job in my current (unrelated) field without it.

I quickly earned more than my friends without degrees, with 1 exception. And still do.

However, I could have skipped my degree, done an apprenticeship and industry specific qualification to get where I am. But finding that entry level role would have been almost impossible nowadays.

Uni has definitely opened doors. And most people I know have done well - even with a geography degree.

In contrast, my friends without a degree have hit glass ceilings and struggle to compete for professional roles with the bulk of our age group who do have them.

My friend who does earn more without a degree works crazy hours. His hourly rate is lower than mine for that reason. I earn marginally less than him for about half the workload.

But obviously it depends on the person. Someone with enough drive and no degree will do better than someone with a degree and no drive.

In hindsight, the best way is a degree apprenticeship. No debt, but experience AND a degree. Certainly the best way.

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KoMaMcNoob@reddit

I did Chemistry , otherwise I am a copy and paste story of this. I work in cybersecurity now and I had a colleague who did the role through some form of apprenticeship scheme. His take home pay was better than me despite being me more senior due to the "grad tax" uni is for most.

Not all jobs and degrees are equal to be fair, STEM still has a lot more transferable skills and I can see why a developer role would require a computer science degree without showing a vast amount of experience/personal project work.

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abstract_groove@reddit

Entirely depends on your chosen industry.

I feel so sorry for "the kids of today" with the costs of university. I was lucky to go in the last cohort that paid about a grand a year in 2005. Back then it didn't really matter that much whether the financial investment made sense, as it was totally worth it just for the experience and being in an environment of learning and discovery.

It wasn't even a consideration for me. You did your GCSEs, A Levels and then went to university. I never even thought about not going.

If I were 16/17 now I'd have to think long and hard about it as the costs are obscene.

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blanketred4@reddit

OTOH not everyone is cut out for hard physical graft day-in day-out, let's not pretend like trades are easy jobs. There's a reason most people wanted to go white-collar and it's not just money.

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abstract_groove@reddit

Nobody in their right mind thinks a trade is an "easy career".

I say this as someone who runs an arts marketing agency, the very definition of cushty white collar work. I type this as I'm catching up on work emails from the pub. My job is infinitely easier than someone ripping up houses for a living, but if I were a kid choosing a career path in 2026 and not 2006, with the economy how it is and threads such as AI and cost cutting across loads of industries, I'd probably learn how to do shit with my hands.

I was chatting to my barber about this last month - he makes a bloody good living out of running a nice barbers in a nice suburb, his wife does women's skincare and stuff. Another career that in the past would've been looked down on but is now a solid career path and business decision.

Just two examples of practical careers I've personally chatted to people about recently. No idea what either of them earn but by looking at them and chatting about their lifestyle, they're definitely not poorer than me and I do alright for myself.

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blanketred4@reddit

>Nobody in their right mind thinks a trade is an "easy career"

I feel like internet spaces have been repeating this sentiment for years though with the "don't bother with degrees, just get a trade!" stuff.

Degrees aren't as useless today as the stereotypes go. AI isn't killing anywhere near all white-collar work and if it does, trades will end up oversaturated and take paycuts too. There's nowhere to escape if AI replaces all white-collar workers. Most graduates still find good work, and if you have a decent brain and put in as much hard work as a good tradesman puts into their job or a business owner puts into their business, you'll end up in a great spot even today.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Exactly! There was such a stigma about the trades wasnt there! I was born 93 so similar ish experiences. Also. That is an expensive bike, with how wobbly i am id be scared on that 😂

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PM_ME_UR_VULVASAUR_@reddit

I did an English Lit degree, which get a lot of shit for their value, but dear God has it helped me navigate through the bullshit and lies in the modern age through learned analysis and evaluation.

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crispycat40@reddit

Depends on the uni and the course.

Two of my siblings went to Oxbridge. The prestige of their degrees means they get noticed more than they would do if they’d gone to a different uni. Both earn substantially more than people who have done the same degrees elsewhere.

My degree is in education so, whatever other directions I try work wise, I always have my QTS to fall back on. It gives me a level of security that I find reassuring.

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Intrepid_Bearz@reddit

I got mine in 97 and have never once needed it since. It was a waste of my time. I was lucky that back then I didn’t have to get into ridiculous debt for it. My nephew has been working out how much it would cost for him to go to university and has deferred another year (he already deferred one) while he gives it some serious thought. The only useful thing about mine was it hit me to Australia for 6 months, but I would have been better off doing a gap year and then working instead of wasting the other 2.5 years at uni.

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MattWillGrant@reddit

Not in any subject that is directly knowledge to job linked, and I'd you intend to work in that area.

The days of idiots doing 3 years of mine engineering just to become an estate agent are well over.

Most degrees will be 2 year courses soon.

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Significant_Soup_279@reddit

I think people look at uni in the wrong way and get mad when it doesn’t magically solve all their problems immediately.

I’m incredibly pro-education and would advocate for some form of higher education for my kids but i know it’s not for everyone. I have friends who would’ve been better suited for apprenticeship go into uni because everyone else was encouraged during sixth forms and now it’s left them dissatisfied though they did it in typically high earning degrees at amazing unis, whereas my friends studying degrees in creative arts like film or product design are incredibly fulfilled despite lower earning potential because they knew what they were getting into.

I think the issue isn’t uni, the issue is that most kids are apathetic to higher education and don’t know all their options at 18 and it’s crazy to expect them to choose so early in life. There is already a lot of promotion of alternative options but schools also need to make it easier for students to decide they changed their mind on subjects and want to do something else halfway through, it’s unrealistic because of how expensive that would be though.

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ZonaSchengen@reddit

Some subjects might bring more returns than others

I also think there are many people that go to university because everyone else does it. Its become a bit of an in thing. When much of society does it, it becomes a societal norm on some level.

Something to keep in mind is if far more people go to Uni, it can devalue the usefulness of a degree on the jobs market.

Yes it can work out for the best for some, but ultimately you need a good game plan for how it will be of use in the real world once graduation is over with.

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Ready-Fox-3264@reddit

Yes, a degree was worth it to me for reasons your post doesn’t mention or isn’t interested to explore, which is perfectly fine.

I’ve always been very academically oriented and excelled in most subjects at both school and college. I ended up studying a humanities subject, which most people would find completely useless if they considered only the earning potential of my degree.

I was raised with the idea that money spent on education is never money wasted. It took me 14 years to repay my tuition fee loan and I’m debt free, if you ever thought of this loss a debt to be begin with.

I currently work in publishing. Most of my colleagues and the management team will simply ignore job applications if they don’t mention a degree. I’ve spent 8 years working with these people and we’ve not had a single person come from a non-academic route. It’s a highly judgmental, highly nepotistic environment and without attending a particular set of universities it’s almost impossible to be seen or heard. I have close friends working in law, banking and insurance and they have similar stories to share.

But above all, I didn’t go to uni to earn more. You don’t need a degree to earn money. Thats not what a degree is for. I wanted to go to find people who were similar to me. And I guess I also went because I wanted to be independent and away from my parents. People who meet me make assumptions about my knowledge, skills and background based on this degree, which I’ve always found both amusing and alarming. But it’s a fact of life. Networking is a huge part of the university experience and it creates another barrier to success.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

100% a valid reason to do it!

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Medium_Register70@reddit

There’s no point going to uni unless you have a clear idea what job you want. You need to be pragmatic.

You also need to choose a degree with a year in industry or chances to work during the summer to gain experience.

You cannot just do a degree and have zero work experience and expect to get a job after.

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ZestyMonstera@reddit

Not true. People can do things because they enjoy them and are interested in them and this will often lead them down a path that is meant for them. Not everything has to be about economic productivity.

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herne_hunted@reddit

You're so right. I always wanted to be an engineer like my father and uncles and went for an engineering degree. I got through because I had enough experience to understand the practical aspects and enough maths for the theory. I was lucky in that interest and aptitude lined up and gave me a good career.

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lankyno8@reddit

Did your apprenticeship involve you getting degree level qualifications in engineering?

Degree apprenticeships can be an excellent middle ground.

I'm also an engineer - but working directly with my degree does feel like uni has worked for me.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Edit i did HND

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

No actually. I could of done but it was the same outcome ( job wise ) regardless if you went the HNC/HND or foundation degree route.

I was trained as an Engineering Officer for the merchant navy.

I think when it is used however as part of the job its definitly useful. Pluss am i correct quite alot of the times the company will pay for it?

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ephemeralsequence@reddit

Absolutely not unless you 109% know what you want to do with it.

If you’re on the fence, learn skills and apply yourself to work.

It’s a scam that preys on impressionable young minds.

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Gary_BBGames@reddit

I’m not university educated, left with 3 GCSEs and earn more than any of my friends or my wife’s, all of whom are university educated. I’m a software engineer so just started making stuff. In an interview I can just pint at all the stuff I’ve made

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Jaded_Ad_6658@reddit

I’ve just completed a history degree over 5 years at the age of 42. Was it worth it in terms of a job? No. I only didn’t because I was studying history in my spare time (nerd!), so thought I may as well get a qualification out of it. However, if I were to use it for a job, the wages are laughable. I’m self employed.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Haha Never a nerd for doing something you take great enjoyment out of. Quite frankly more people of my generation and lower need to get into history before it starts going mad lol

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KoorbB@reddit

If I could do it all again, I’d do a degree apprenticeship. Earn, learn and get experience all in one. Some degrees at University seem worth it and in some cases necessary, others absolutely not, so I guess it depends what you’re looking at.

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Original_Document748@reddit

Depends on the degree tbh and overall grade outcome. I knew someone who got a degree im chemistry but he only got a 2:2 so he found it hard to move on to do a PhD and also get a job in chemistry. It was very competitive and they obviously preferred ppl with 2:1 and firsts

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ZestyMonstera@reddit

Yes, I don't stress about my student debt. I don't know why people worry about it so much. It has not affected me in the slightest. I will never pay off the full amount. I loved university, I love the lifelong impact the friends I made at university have had on my life, I love my job which I could have only got through going to university, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I think it's criminal the interest rate can change so much (purely on principle it should be interest free or tied only to inflation) and that terms can be changed retrospectively, but otherwise, anyone who is paying off a big chunk per month realistically has a shit load more in disposable income coming in each month anyway. It's all the same % on your salary above the threshold.

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mingebinj@reddit

I'm in my late twenties and l live in the NE.

My personal opinion is that experience wins over qualifications. However, it depends on the area you want to work in, where you live and what you value in life.

On paper I'm thick as fuck. Did shit at school etc but you don't need to be academically smart to succeed. As long as you're confident, logical and have some common sense, you can do pretty well without a degree.

Not going to uni put me years ahead of my mates. My salary is more than most of theirs and I bought a house quite young. Though, I expect as the years go on, my salary is going to have a lower max than theirs.

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octave07@reddit

Curious what is ‘a fairly decent wage’

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

A good 100-150% than national average.

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blanketred4@reddit

Well the averages suggest graduates earn 37-38% more than non-graduates so the figures do support this.

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Toasty-Alpaca@reddit

So im an engineer about 11 years deep. Ive landed a new role, been completing a degree in my own time. The role requires a degree and they've taken me on my experience and the fact I will have a degree on completion.

So I guess its worth it, new role is 70% more salary.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Thats very good! And a great way to do it too. Do you feel the degree is transferable to your work, like you are actually using what you are learning :)

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Toasty-Alpaca@reddit

I use examples from my work/experiences I have an apply those to the theory so it makes it easier.

I wouldn't say im learning many new things, more what I already know is polished or refined.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Thats good, i bet thats helping with the experience quite a bit and wish all the luck to you!

I know when i did try my degree ( through a job previous to this ) i remember the first words uttered out the lecturers mouth were " nearly all of this will not be used in your day to day work lives "... I just came a way thinking what a waste of my time and the companys money!

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dan_in_his_own_way@reddit

They're only worth it in my opinion if you have a solid career in mind and it is a requirement. Otherwise, no.

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bananator4@reddit

Unless it is essential to the chosen career path, absolutely not.

Even then, I think it's possibly the worst financial decision a person could make today.

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zd2dih@reddit

Are you going to study stem, law or healthcare? Then yes. Are you going to study humanities or business/finance/sports? No

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blanketred4@reddit

University is like gym IMO.

The gym doesn't give you an amazing physique, it gives you the tools to give yourself an amazing physique. In the end, you have to put in the work yourself.

University doesn't give you an amazing career, it gives you the tools to give yourself an amazing career. In the end, you have to put in the work yourself.

The opportunities are phenomenal though - if you get involve with the right societies, the right research opportunities, apply for the right internships (that look for people doing degrees) etc... you can go flying from university. Plenty of top uni grads will graduate with salaries higher than the UK mid-career average at the age of 21 from taking advantage of the opportunities well.

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DanielReddit26@reddit

Can you expand this metaphor to explain the uni equivalent of going but skipping leg day?

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blanketred4@reddit

That would be going to university and studying all day to get a 1st (upper body workouts) but not doing any career-building activities like societies, internships, research opportunities etc... a degree with an empty CV is not great.

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CoverInternational47@reddit

Just studying but skipping the networking or vice versa?

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

They get a tiny left cortex.

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Kerry22022@reddit

My son is 27 and has a degree in Cyber Security which is serving him well.

He did decide on his degree though based on future job prospects. His love was English Literature but he knew that would be unlikely to pay well. He enjoyed and was good with computer programming and initially did a year of University in Computer Science but felt he was learning a bit of everything and would be best to choose an area and specialise in it. He looked at what would likely provide the best job prospects and did another 3 years in CyberSecurity.

I also know lots of his friends who struggled with the degree haven't fared so well and there are a lot of careers where apprenticeships would be the better way to go.

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Appropriate-Ant3257@reddit

My anecdotal evidence is all the people I have contact with who went to university earn less than those of us who didn't.

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eeu914@reddit

As far as I know I'm out-earned by one of my friends, he does industrial/mechanical engineering. I believe he did a Uni apprenticeship.

I have a degree and out-earn the rest.

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Past-Obligation1930@reddit

My experience is the opposite, though full disclose I went to Cambridge - which is part of a fairly select group.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Frightfully frightfully..... Altough ngl i had a very nice experience at cambridge when i was looking at unis way back when now 😃

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DPH996@reddit

Seconded

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Past-Obligation1930@reddit

I’m a chemical engineer and my degree has helped me earn a monstrous salary.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

It does seem to be Chem eng are the big guns from other comments. Not going to pry but will that sit you in the over 100k group?

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Gashmina@reddit

I think some are worth but but a lot aren't. I never went to uni and I'm honestly so glad to not be stuck with a student loan for the rest of my life.

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hellopo9@reddit

Some are worth it, Some aren't. Its a mix of the level of university and the subject that matters. You'll earn well if you do maths and computer science at a uni like UCL or Cambridge. Same with econ people in imperial. Biology at Cumbria or History at Kent, less so.

Some people here will say uni isn't about earning more money but expanding your mind. Thats fine, but the 17-year-olds don't know that.

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Any-Tangerine-8659@reddit

Lol Imperial is the STEM university. You're mixing up Imperial for LSE and UCL for Imperial.

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hellopo9@reddit

It's just examples of very good universities. I know Imperial focuses on STEM. i've a few mates who went. Imperial does econ as you know.

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Any-Tangerine-8659@reddit

I went to Imperial. Imperial doesn't even have a pure Econ degree like I just said, and its EFDS course is super new. Imperial is far better at STEM, and better than UCL at most of STEM (apart from Life Sciences which are neck and neck). UCL is second tier for both Maths and Computer Science. Just look at offer rates, hedge fund target unis, salary outcomes etc.

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hellopo9@reddit

I don't think you understand my point. I wasn't listing examples of the top 5 universities for certain subjects. I was listing some very good universities and good subjects. Then some medicore universities and mediocre subjects (for financial prospects)

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james_s_docherty@reddit

Everyone is focusing on the degree itself. University is also about being involved in things outside the academic: student newspapers, union officer positions, sports, theatre, and societies. Lots of people go knowing their desired career trajectory and choosing a course that matches, but for others it can be a chance to try things in a safe space and develop.

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deppyjon@reddit

Eemmm vast majority of degrees wouldn’t be worth it really, or atleast if money is what you want, then you could potentially go a better route by going straight into work or a degree apprenticeship or just apprenticeship for sure.

Universities in general are important for research though, probably not the current amount we have, but people whose job it is to research different topics and move subjects forward are pretty essential.

University largely lost its value due to how accessible it is, which is good for the most part but it just de valued having a degree

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Fondant_Decent@reddit

Not anymore,

I have a friend that does social media marketing for small businesses (barbers, cafes etc) last year he made over £400k in revenue, he doesn’t even have a degree, I have a degree myself but don’t earn as much as he does.

But for fields like Medicine, or Industrial Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics or Aerospace Engineering - yeah then you need a degree.

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Brian_from_accounts@reddit

20% of them yes. 80% no.

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notemark@reddit

I would say that aside from specialist roles a degree is only really valuable to younger jobseekers looking to get a head start in salary and skip more foundational roles.

In my work there's 3 of us that do roughly the same job and I'm the only one that doesn't have a degree but I'm on a higher wage due to experience. I took the apprenticeship route when I started earning next to nothing but at the time I was young my financial obligations were practically non existent.

Despite the my two colleagues having degrees (one of which is generally related to our work) I have still mentored both.

That being said there is a small part of me that wished I did a degree when leaving 6th form as costs back then were still capped at £3000 per year so it would be fully paid off now but at the same point I have been fortunate enough to not require one to this point.

I make no illusion that my current role is just as much luck as anything else, I was here through the 2008 financial crash and the blip in 2012, people on higher salaries were getting laid off to trim departments but I just kept picking up responsibilities and learning without asking for more money, then when the business recovered my boss argues for a higher wage.

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worldworn@reddit

Now may i preface this question by saying i understand why university is needed for certain roles and of course if you love the subject.

My question is, alot of my friends who have gone to uni. Passing their bacherlors, masters and one even passing their post doctoral earn alot less money than i do.

It's not a race to see who has the most money, people need degrees for roles they want to do.
So yes, for them, it's probably worth it.
For others who end up not using their degree, no it's not.

I do think some companies over rely on degrees to judge competency. Which inflates the expectation on people to get them.

But I don't think that makes degrees worthless on the whole.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

I agree with you whole heartidly. The post doc loves their job immensly and there is a huge amount to be said for that. But at over £100k debt it still makes me wince!

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leclercwitch@reddit

Mine wasn’t. I did a degree in game design when I was 22. During Covid. In my first year I was predicted a first but I got into a shit relationship, taking drugs etc so came out with a 2:2.

I don’t work in the games industry. I’m a legal secretary. I bought a pc recently so I could get back into 3d modelling and making games as a side thing but now I’ve got to relearn literally everything. I’m actually pretty good for a beginner. I wouldn’t have even thought to do this without doing the degree though. Least I’ve found something I like doing. If I was to do it again, I’d go back and do something in engineering, but I’d have to redo college I think. In school I fucked my GCSEs because I was a very depressed girl then, so I didn’t do a levels or anything like that. No maths GCSE. Suppose I’m the first person in my family to have gone to uni so my family loves that.

Some degrees allow you to earn loads (like mine can, I know someone who works at a games studio earning 56k a year) and some that are useless. I wish I’d have had a better experience and worked out what I wanted to do when I was younger. I’d love to go back to uni now but I’m 30 with my own place. I can’t take pay cuts now.

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asymmetricears@reddit

You're using a very small sample size, and possibly comparing salaries across different industries.

Degree apprenticeships tend to be a better route for some, as by age 24 you will have a degree, no student debt, and 6 years experience, compared to a degree, student debt and 3 years experience.

However, in high earning roles, having a degree three years earlier can give a significant head start.

What is also true is that a great employee will more likely end up being more successful than a good employee, whatever routes both take.

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DameKumquat@reddit

They're worth it for some people for some subjects. Probably the same ones who actually went to uni Back In My Day (the 90s).

If you don't know why you want to go to uni or what for, it's probably best now to get some sort of work experience or apprenticeship or other qualification first.

I suspect two of mine won't go at 18 or 19 but may get a degree eventually, when they see a point. Other has been dead set on Maths at Cambridge since a very young age, and I'm pretty sure that it's still the case that if you can get into Oxbridge, it's a good idea. And probably for other top-20 unis, or for certain specific subjects that need that degree.

Kid is also considering Engineering or Physics, but still has all of A-levels to decide.

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Triordie@reddit

Vocational degrees are definitely worth it. Doing a degree in something you love and are fully focused on it definitely worth it. Doing a degrees because you don’t know what you want to do in a random subject seems a total waste of money. Remember having friends who did history of art because they just needed a degree so they could be give a city job by a family friend.

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Darkgreenbirdofprey@reddit

Nope. Not with the current costs and economic climate.

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cbrownmufc@reddit

If you have a specific career path in mind, absolutely. Getting a degree with no plan for afterwards, usually means a waste

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excitedbynaps@reddit

My degree is In Sociology & Creative Writing. I got it in 2014.

The degree itself? Not worth it and not really helped me get any jobs (that i know of, Ive worked my way up)

However, for me it was worth it for moving away, mwking new friends and getting new experiences etc.

I do think learning a trade is probably better. I work with kids 10 years younger than me who out earn me massively because they went for a manual job.

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OrangeBeast01@reddit

I have done an IT degree (bachelor of science) that I started in my 30's. I agonised over it wondering if I was making a mistake, but it's one of the best things I did.

In my experience since having it, it has been at least a guaranteed interview even outside of the IT sector even in jobs 40k plus, that I would have never been looked at twice without considerable experience in that sector.

A degree allows you to move between industries. I feel like that's important when a "job for life" is very rare these days and you might, like I had to, have to start all over again in your 30's.

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anothermanwithaplan@reddit

The purpose of a degree is no longer differentiation it’s expected for certain types of work. There are jobs you can get that quite literally state ‘any degree required’.

Let’s put academics aside for a moment, going to uni is a life changing experience, as long as you don’t go to one on your doorstep. I would recommend it to anyone.

Coming out with a degree gives you access to options and velocity. None of this matters however if your career aspirations don’t require it.

In terms of student loans, they are absolutely taking the piss these days and this is the biggest factor of all to consider. In the long run you are better off (I think they changes the plans again) but in the short term it’s going be tight.

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MissAliceUk@reddit

I dont think so, apprenticeships are the best way forward. You can always teach yourself things later in life with online courses or practicality. Uni feels very outdated imo

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PreferenceAnxious449@reddit

Due to AI advancement the value of being a skilled worker is going to drop drastically. Throw in the fact that it's getting easier than ever to have a tailored learning experience at home. And the fact that it's harder to actually fairly grade students who may be turning in AI assignments...

I'd say the value in a degree is about to hit an all time low.

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

They're about on a par with premium rate telephone numbers. After all your money has been siphoned from you, you get to enter a competition you won't ever win - which was probably rigged from the start anyway.

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cccccjdvidn@reddit

The statistics still show that there is a graduate premium. But that gap is narrowing.

Saying that, I have two degrees. I wasn't earning that much in the UK, but then I applied for an opportunity abroad and was successful. I emigrated and now vastly out-earn what my peers earn in the UK.

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

Yea i honestly agree with you there. The wage stagnation over here is shocking for roles! I looked at moving to the states a good while ago and id be earning double over there doing the same job.

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IllustriousNobody947@reddit

Some degrees are worth it, some aren't, depends on how you apply yourself and the knowledge. Apprenticeships are alright, I've seen both sides of that having line managed someone through theirs. It can be slow imo compared to getting a degree but you're getting paid so it evens out.

I had the time of my life at uni doing dumb things with friends which was worth the tuition loan by itself.

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namur17056@reddit

Back when nortel networks still existed in Paignton over 20 years ago they would take you on no matter what degree you had and give you a job as an engineer paying £70k. Their words were it’s about the method of learning not what was studied.

Nowadays unless it’s a very niche or specialist thing I honestly don’t think it’s worthwhile anymore.

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LordFlappingtonIV@reddit

Did I enjoy university and feel like I genuinely learned things? Yes, but the things I learned were entirely self taught and what I learned is not worth the 88k student loan debt I now have.

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asphytotalxtc@reddit

I think it definitely can be worth it! I think also the UK's attitude to university degrees is wrong. We shouldn't be pushing teenagers to make their "lifetime career choice" and get themselves into huge amounts of debt straight out of secondary/sixth form.

I found it VASTLY more valuable spending some time out in the working world, maturing a bit, deciding what I REALLY wanted to work in and then doing a degree for that. I'd have utterly wasted money on a comp-sci degree that was essentially out of date the moment I would have left uni.

(Yes, of course there are parts of comp-sci that will never go "out of date". But I'd already learned that... It would have given me absolutely zero value in the real world).

Perhaps this is just unique to IT?

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Bitter-Policy4645@reddit

Absolutely worth it, if you choose a degree that will enable a high earning career path. I studied engineering and am now an AI Architect

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KernowKermit@reddit

There has always been a wide range of "value for money/time" that people get from degrees. A good portion of the two opposite ends are probably the same, but it does feel like the middle of the curve is changing a little. I also think increasingly you have to get a get good degree result, wherever you go.

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Ok_Significance4583@reddit

Wasn't this already posted today?

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AccomplishedBug1797@reddit (OP)

I have to admit i havent read that far down today, so maybe!

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DualWheeled@reddit

Define "it". Mine wasn't worth 9% of everything I earn over a very low threshold for 30(?) years.

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Hertfordgal@reddit

In my circle of friends, everyone with a degree earns much more than my friends who don’t. But it’s not a massive group. It all depends on what you want to do with your degree.

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Cultural_Tank_6947@reddit

From all the people I know who make £100k, only two didn't go to Uni.

That anecdote is about as useful to the big picture as yours.

There's always going to be university degrees that are worthwhile. There's always going to be university degrees that hold no real value.

The biggest mistake the UK made was to hand out student loans like candy, with no real obligation to repay if you earn shit money.

Make the student loans contingent on certain A level results, and exclude several courses (based on career outcomes) and it will make such a huge difference to the system. Kids will see apprenticeship or vocational courses as a legitimate pathway.

Or we'll keep getting kids who go to Hull to study geography, and then wonder why they're not earning much more than minimum wage.

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SpatulaWholesale@reddit

A degree in a technical subject will usually improve your job prospects over those without.

I'm not too familiar with how those with arts and humanities degrees do, but I'd imagine there's a whole world of non-technical professions for which degrees are a requirement.

You'll always find anecdotes of people who earn a ton without a degree. Those who started their own business, in high-earning trades, etc.

But for the vast majority, a degree is a gateway to wider job prospects.

Prospects. Not guarantees.

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StalinsPeanutButter@reddit

It is entirely down to the individual and the industry.

I got my degree through an apprenticeship and it was a great bargaining chip for salary negotiations.

Many jobs require a "degree" - relevant to the field or not sometimes.

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TheIhsaan7@reddit

Depends on what. I did computing. And it for sure helped me land decent jobs. I still had to build myself up. I started in tech support now I work in a cybersecurity company as a IT engineer

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shark-with-a-horn@reddit

For me it was worth it even though I didn't use my degree directly after university

There was something beneficial about having extra time to mature, learn more about the world and establish myself independently. It also broadened my horizons so I eventually chose a career path that wouldn't have been on my radar at 18

I did go to quite a good uni

Also I could afford to live on my student loan and part time job, I imagine with cost of living it could be more of a struggle now

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Slobbadobbavich@reddit

I think it is terrible that many jobs that are 'train on the job' jobs are now requiring degree's. We need apprenticeships back in a major way.

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PleasantCucumber2615@reddit

I think they need to stop a lot of the degrees at University. They serve no real purpose in life and just cost a lot of money.

Most youngsters want to go to University and I understand that. However, it needs to be for a degree that adds value and not for them to enjoy the student life for four years.

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inFamousLordYT@reddit

Honestly as someone in uni right now I only feel its worth it for the experience of meeting new people and making the most of the last few years you get to be irresponsible before shit starts hitting the fan.

Student debt isn't something to be too worried about, the payment threshhold isn't too low and there are subscription services out there that are will take way more out of your salary every month, if you cut a couple costs you can pretty much ignore it unless they make any major changes in the future.

It also entirely depends on what you're doing, because if you're studying to get into an industry that has more people going in than there is demand for then you will have lower chances.

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Rude_Rhubarb1880@reddit

Some exceptions but generally, no

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v00g@reddit

The experience was definitely worth it for me. Met lifelong friends, got to study and immerse myself in something that interested me for three years, got a huge sense of achievement for completing it.

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alex21dragons@reddit

I would say that you need to have a very definite career plan involving the degree you intend to study for otherwise you can easily end up not earning any more than you would without the time and expense of higher education.

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VolcanicBear@reddit

Depends on the degree and if it's relevant to an area of work the recipient actually gets into.

In my friend group, the person who is the highest earner doesn't have a degree, but is extremely intelligent and adaptable. The person who is (probably) the lowest earner does have a degree, but one that is completely irrelevant to their job and interests.

Pretty sure having a relevant degree is a requirement for my job (with my employer) these days based on spec, although I expect significant professional experience would likely negate it.

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Puzzled-Job9556@reddit

Some are of course. STEM subjects for instance.

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WoollyHooligan@reddit

This.

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Mav_Learns_CS@reddit

Depends on the degree

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olivers125@reddit

Honestly for me, the answer is no, everyone who earns less than me has a degree, everyone who earns more started in an apprenticeship. (This won’t apply to everyone)

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Atheissimo@reddit

You'll get different answers depending on the age of the respondent.

My degree wasn't in STEM, but I wouldn't be without it because when I graduated in 2011 we were firmly in the age of 'no degree, no chance'. Apprenticeships weren't respected and alternatives to degrees were shaky and constantly being relaunched and reformed.

If I had to advise a kid today though, I'd definitely suggest they think twice, as young people I have met doing apprenticeships and other qualifications seem to be getting on fine.

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Inquisitivemind25@reddit

As someone who went to university, my opinion is going to university is only worth it if you want to go into a job that requires a degree (medicine, law, etc.). You’ll have to do your own research to find out. Otherwise, looking at the apprenticeship route, volunteering to get your foot in the door, etc. are good ideas.

The only other counter I can think of is if you really want to experience the university life and your passionate about your degree, but you’ll have to decide whether the debt and associated costs are worth it.

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Friendly_Order3729@reddit

For me personally no, but only because I left the career I had trained at uni for 2 years after graduation.

Trained in primary teaching, hated it, now work in HR through an apprenticeship.

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hurrdurrswit@reddit

Framed from a point of view of return on investment and future earnings potential. STEM degree from a top 10 uni yes, most courses from mid to low tier ranked universities no.

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bio4m@reddit

If youre going to a line of education with bad job prospects and just end up working in marketing or sales then no its not worth it

But in a lot of fields its table stakes, you need the degree to have a basic understanding of whats going on.

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cdp181@reddit

Depends on the degree and how motivated the individual is. Some people would be much better off just getting a job with training.

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