New analysis revealed by Universities UK today has shown that those who chose to attend university earn significantly more than those who didn’t.
UUK’s analysis of government-published LEO (Longitudinal Education Outcomes) data reveals that by age 31, graduates earn around a third more than non-graduates.
The University of Worcester is number one in the Country for sustained employment and/or further study five years after graduation, according to the 2024 LEO data (excluding specialist institutions). 96% of Worcester graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024).
Described in its recent Teaching Excellence Framework report as “an engine of opportunity – supporting its students to benefit from an educational experience that is personally transformative and allows them to succeed in their chosen career”, the University is one of the Country’s leading and largest educators of health and education professionals, including teachers, nurses, midwives, paramedics and more.
In May 2023, Government Inspectors awarded the University’s teacher Primary and Secondary training Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ writing: “Trainees benefit from an exceptional learning experience at the University of Worcester. This experience instils in them a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children and young adults in the communities they serve.”
Kiran Sahota is now an award-winning social historian, having been the first in her family to go to university.
“I learnt so much during my time at the University of Worcester,” she said. “Particularly the value of digging deeper, pulling harder on the thread of a thought until you can follow it somewhere really valuable, really interesting.”
Laura Bounds MBE is owner of Kent Crisps, Kentish Oils & Condiments and A Little Bit. She said her degree from the University of Worcester gave her opportunities to grow.
“It [university] helped me to really find myself and my place in the world,” she said. “It helped me to connect with different people, from different cultures, different parts of the UK and the world. The whole experience was positive.”
Sports Coaching Science with Disability Sport graduate, Richard Henderson, is now the Disability Sport Co-Ordinator at the Albion Foundation, part of West Bromwich Albion.
“For me, the biggest thing was the connections the University had,” he said. “Through those I was then able to have the best connections to go and find the right places to go and learn and put everything into practice in real life. The contacts and the avenues they [the University of Worcester] can send you down was the biggest thing for me.”
According to UUK’s analysis released today, graduates can earn up to 36% more compared to other employees in the West Midlands.
Graduate skills are estimated to have an economic impact of £95 billion nationwide – and £8.4 billion in the West Midlands.
Professor Dame Sally Mapstone, FRSE, President of Universities UK, said: “Those of us who work in universities witness the transformative power of higher education every day, and it is compelling to see this borne out so strongly in this analysis. But this data shows something new – universities are anchors for growth right across the UK. As well as contributing to their local area through the money they spend while studying, graduates go on to meet the needs of local industries and to earn more. This new analysis gives a clear message to government, local and mayoral authorities that thriving universities in every part of the country are central to the prospects for individuals and communities.”