Is university your best option? An expert advises on alternative ways to achieve a well paid career

A-Level students have been told to expect fewer A* and A grades this year, while UCAS has advised they brace for fierce competition in the clearing process, as anticipation for results day builds.

With many students waiting anxiously to discover their grades, new data by Indeed shows three quarters (74%) believe they need a degree to achieve a higher salary, or progress faster in their career.

As we mark 25 years since the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 was enacted, introducing tuition fees of up to £1,000 a year for UK students, research has found three quarters (66%) who have been to university over the years are still paying them back, with an average £16,900 owed.

This comes as recent changes mean students starting university this September for the 2023/24 school year are expected to stack up approximately £42,900 in debt, with the time before they are wiped increasing from 30 to 40 years.

Considering the high cost today, more than a third of Brits (37%) would not encourage school leavers to go to university. More than 1 in 10 UK adults add that they wouldn’t encourage leavers to go as work experience is more valuable, with 19% saying the amount they spent on their degree is more than it’s worth to them today.

Of those who didn’t go to university, the top 3 skills that Brits believe they have achieved in their career to date are: experience of work (34%), problem solving (31%), and earned money (29%)

So what jobs are out there for those who chose not to pursue further education? A leading careers expert is on hand to offer alternatives, and share advice for those who do not achieve the grades they were hoping for.

With 50,000 going into clearing each year, expected to rise this year with fewer top grades expected, it is important to remember that university and further education alternatives are not the only route to achieve high paying roles, and fast career progression.

In hand, this could give UK economy a boost, and continue to reduce the amount of job vacancies. Opportunities to learn on the job will also exist, helping the UK upskill its workforce, and become less reliant on costly further education routes.

Of those school leavers deciding not to go to university, two thirds (66%) say high costs was a deciding factor. Two in five (40%) believe that only some degrees are worth the expense, and others are not.