UK confidence in university degrees drops to 34%

Public confidence in the value of a university degree has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, according to a major national survey, as concerns over student debt and graduate job prospects reshape attitudes toward higher education.

The latest British Social Attitudes survey found that 34 percent of people now believe a university education is not worth the time and money involved, a significant increase from just 14 percent in 2005. Over the same period, the proportion of people who think graduates end up substantially better off financially than non-graduates has dropped from 50 percent to 36 percent.

This shift in public opinion coincides with a dramatic expansion of the university sector. In 1983, approximately six percent of school leavers went on to higher education. By 2025, that figure had risen to 36 percent, with more than two million domestic students enrolled. The cost of attending has also soared; tuition fees in England, introduced at £1,000 per year in 1998, now stand at up to £9,535 annually, plus living costs.

Concerns are mounting over the student finance system. A parliamentary inquiry by the Treasury Select Committee is examining the issue after...