A-Level Results Day: Is university the best option as students told to expect lower grades

Ahead of A-level Results Day, students have been told to expect fewer A* and A grades. In addition, UCAS has advised pupils to brace for fierce competition in the clearing process, as anticipation for results day builds.

Students across the country are waiting anxiously to receive their results and 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%) of people 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 rack 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 three skills that Brits believe they have achieved in their career to date are: experience of work (34%), problem solving (31%), and earned money (29%)

Is university the best option for students?

With 50,000 going into clearing each year, a figure 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.

Choosing an alternative could give UK economy a boost, and continue to reduce the amount of job vacancies. Opportunities to learn on the job 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 only some degrees are worth the expense, and others are not.

Currently, the HR, Construction, Education, and Healthcare sectors are all crying out for applicants. However, searches for graduate positions are down compared to previous years.