UK Edition
The ‘dull but lucrative’ degrees that will earn you the most money
A-level results day is here and as students consider their options, they might want to look at degrees with higher earning potential
With student loans leaving British graduates in tens of thousands’ worth of debt, the pressure is on for graduates to leverage their degrees into high-paying jobs as early as possible.
Increasingly, a course’s value for money is seen through the lens of expected pay after graduation.
New research has revealed the degrees that lead to the highest salary, with those on the highest-ranking course making an average of £47,120 five years after leaving university.
The list was dominated by degrees that might not excite 18-year-olds, such as those in engineering and computing. In fact, eight separate engineering courses placed within the top 20. Degrees in finance-related fields, such as entrepreneurship and business economics, also featured heavily.
An average university degree leaves graduates saddled with £45,000 in debt, which they only begin paying back when their salary rises above £27,295.
Of the 74 courses included in the research, 60 exceeded the threshold within five years. Roughly 60pc of the courses lead to a salary of more than £30,000 in five years.
Adzuna analysed more than 120,000 CVs to find the jobs that graduates are working in five years after leaving university. It then matched these with average salaries.
The report showed information systems degrees to be the best value for money, as graduates earn £47,120 five years after graduating. It was followed by courses in computer engineering (£46,281), petroleum engineering (£45,579), and project management (£44,455).
Paul Lewis, of Adzuna, said the jobs market for graduates was the strongest it had been post-pandemic, adding: “Plenty of industries remain desperate for talent and looking to grads to fill those gaps.”
A report by the jobs search engine found graduate salaries had risen 7pc year-on-year to an all-time high of £26,076. In the most competitive sectors, it added, pay rates have hit new heights, with salaries of up to £70,000 on offer.
According to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, more than half a million 540,000 students will graduate this year – and over 36 candidates will be vying for individual job opportunities.
Last week, Telegraph Money reported that “Mickey Mouse” degrees such as English Literature and Events Management will leave graduates earning salaries too low to begin paying off their student loan.
Photography was revealed to be the lowest-ranked course for expected salary five years after graduating, followed by courses in translation (£24,815), film (£24,851), and fine art (£24,999).
Roughly 40pc of university degrees do not lead to an average salary above £30,000 within five years, the analysis found. Of the 74 degrees included, 14 did not exceed the student loan repayment threshold within that period.