The government remains concerned about the relative value of low-earning and niche degrees. Now, the Social Mobility Commission wants universities to be more proactive in informing students of potential earnings of degrees that they offer.
Should universities provide career prospects and earnings data?
Typically, this information is something students tend to research for themselves before applying. However many don’t and it is with this concern in mind that the government is keen for universities to fully disclose career and earnings prospects.
This comes in the wake of new data that despite all the financial changes and economic difficulties, numbers of 18-year-olds applying to university courses increased, described as near record levels.
Why make this data available?
New research from the Social Mobility Commission wasn’t just about criticising earning power for each degree. It was a report on current social mobility for students. The report had several key findings:
- There was a wide range of earnings for degrees with some failing to provide greater earning potential for the graduate
- Most interesting, those degrees with the highest earnings took on the fewest number of students from low earning backgrounds
- The report acknowledged the improvements to social mobility outreach
- Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds tended to apply to more selective universities less often – even with similar grades
The SMC said that in order to improve social mobility, those universities must do more. Further, they said that selective universities were actively “hindering social mobility.”
Many years to discover social mobility
There are largely positive results for attracting students from low socio-economic backgrounds are positive. However, it still may not be enough.
The authors stated that they expect it to take until those students turn 30 (around a decade) before we start to see any genuine and measurable results.
The point listed above highlighted that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds applied to more selective universities meant they’d experience two “penalties”:
- Are less likely to be chosen in a competitive environment and…
- Will therefore earn less over their careers
This takes nothing away from students who choose those universities for other reasons. However, there is a concern that for some, background holds them back.
Applications remain strong
On the plus side, the UCAS admissions application numbers for this year show an increase. 41% of A-level students applied to university for the academic year 2023-2024. This is slightly lower than the 43% from the same figures last year, but this was seen as a pandemic bounce. It is still higher than 2020-2021 which was 39%.