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Thu, 25 Jun 2026

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 Find out which university degrees could earn you most across your lifetime

New data suggests which university degrees have the highest and lowest financial returns over a lifetime.
Top-Earning Degrees:
* Medicine: up to £400,000 more over a lifetime
* Economics: significant financial returns Low- or Negative-Reward Degrees:
* Creative arts
* Philosophy
* Languages Average Lifetime Earnings Gap:
* Graduates earn around £100,000 more than non-graduates
* One in four graduates can expect to be financially worse off over their lifetime Impact on Male Graduates with Low Prior Attainment:
* Around 40% of male graduates with low prior attainment can expect to be worse-off financially over their lifetimes. Government Response:
* Department for Education (DfE) plans to cap numbers on courses with poor returns
* DfE will consult on introducing minimum English language requirements for prospective undergrads Expert Opinions:
* Nick Harrison, Sutton Trust CEO: "University is not a guarantee of financial success, but it remains the most reliable route to upward mobility."
* Vivienne Stern, Universities UK CEO: "Some degree choices are motivated by money, but others feed the creative industries, which are a huge economic driver for the UK."