Exeter students amongst high-earning graduates, figures show

A comprehensive new study, released by the Department for Education this week, looked at graduate earnings data up to the age of 29.

It showed that the vast majority of graduates with a degree are earning more than those who do not go to university, despite the number of students in higher education growing.

The data shows that female and male graduates are earning 28% and 8% more on average than their counterparts who opted for a different route of study after leaving school.

At Exeter, the average earnings across the sector for both male and female graduates are ranked within the top 20 universities nationwide.

The figures reflect Exeter’s long-standing commitment to world-class teaching and research, continued investment in facilities, and the development of employability initiatives and strong links to employers.

Professor Tim Quine, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) said: “This study offers indications that, for a great many people, attending university can enhance not just their future career prospects but also potential earnings.

“Recent figures for Exeter that show more than 95 per cent of graduates are in either further study or work within six months of graduating, earning more than the sector average in the majority of cases – reflecting the value that employers place on a degree from Exeter.”

The ‘Absolute Returns’ report, conducted independently by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, will help policy makers, regulators and students understand the different outcomes from different courses and universities.

Exeter graduates appear in 22 of the 30 subject tables included in the report.

Female graduates from Modern languages, Law and Philosophy all ranked within the top 10 nationally for average earnings up to the age of 29.

Male graduates from Creative Arts, Modern Languages, Law, Philosophy, and Sport and Health Science are ranked in the top 10 – with Sport and Health Science ranked 2^nd in the sector and 1^st in the Russell group.

Announcing the report Universities Minister Sam Gyimah said: “I want to see our universities competing on the quality of what they offer, value for money and strong positive outcomes for their students so that every degree is worth the investment.

“This landmark research proves that the graduate earnings premium remains robust, even as we have made higher education available to more young people than ever before. Higher education is delivering for students, the taxpayer and the economy, and will continue to do so as long as we focus relentlessly on quality.”