The proportion of people in the UK who believe a university degree is not worth the time or money has surged to a record high of 34%, according to the latest British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey. This marks a sharp increase from just 14% in 2005, reflecting growing disillusionment with higher education.
The survey also found that only 36% of people now think graduates end up a lot better off financially than non-graduates, down from 50% in 2005. The shift comes as tuition fees in England have risen to £9,535 per year, and student loan repayment thresholds have been frozen, causing debt to grow faster than repayments.
Younger graduates who have experienced the fee system are more sceptical than older cohorts. Alex Stanley, vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, said he had to work three jobs alongside his studies and still owes over £50,000. “The funding system is broken, and that is decaying trust in the university model,” he said.
Despite the negative trends, Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, stressed that graduates still have better employment prospects, higher earnings, and improved health. Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, noted that “it is still only one in three people who think university is not worth it.”
Alex Scholes, a co-author of the BSA report, warned that if confidence continues to fall, the financial situation for universities could worsen. The survey highlights concerns about AI impacting the graduate job market and the fairness of the student loan system.
