Was Going To A University Worth It?

Men more likely than women to feel that their university degree has benefitted their career

Was Going To A University Worth It?

• Men almost twice as likely to feel their degree secured them a higher salary
• Only 41% of respondents felt that their degree helped them start a career
• Older graduates are more likely to feel they’ve made lifelong friends during their time at university than their younger counterparts

Men are almost twice as likely than women to feel that their university degree helped them to secure a higher salary. 28% of men felt that attending a university had helped them to secure a higher salary in their chosen career compared to just 17% of women.

Men were slightly more likely to feel that their time at a university had helped them build connections that helped their career. 17% of men responded that this was a positive benefit of their university experience as compared to 13% of women.

These results were discovered in a survey by Solution Loans, a leading online finance broker,  that asked respondents whether they felt going to a university was worth the time and money they’d invested in it. While differences in the experiences of the genders weren’t the main focus of the survey, this split emerged during analysis of the results.

While men were more likely to report positively that their career had been benefited by them attending a university, women were more likely to report that a positive of the university experience was that it had allowed them to study a subject that they were interested in. 33% of women cited this as a positive effect of the university experience compared to just 26% of men.

The other surprising result from the survey showed that across all respondents only 41% felt that their university degree had helped them secure a career they wouldn’t have been able to get into otherwise. While advancing a career might not be the only reason for going to a university, it is often seen as a key benefit of going and universities typically highlight this benefit if their graduates move into work soon after graduating. 

The survey also revealed some interesting attitudes to university education based on the respondent’s age. Those over the age of 65, the oldest age group surveyed, were the most likely to feel that their university education had helped them secure a career that they wouldn’t have done otherwise. Those aged 35 and below were more likely to feel that the university had helped them build professional connections in their chosen career, even if the experience didn’t help them secure higher pay. 22% of respondents under 35 felt that going to the university had helped them to build professional connections compared to just 12% across other age groups.

The survey also looked at personal factors such as whether respondents made life-long friends and whether they met their life partner at university. Not going to a university means that you can avoid student loan debt, but you can miss out on vital life skills and making the best relationships.

Amanda Gillam from Solution Loans said “It’s clear that gender and age affect how people perceive the value of the university experience. With the cost of a university education now resting firmly on the shoulders of students directly through tuition fees, it’s vital that people think carefully before embarking on a degree course and ensure that that they have plans in place to get the most out of their time at university”.

To find out more about the survey and its findings go to https://www.solution-loans.co.uk/blog/is-university-worth-it/ .