Over half of people surveyed in a recent YouGov tracker poll think that degrees from English universities are not good value for money.
This is a stark contrast to the 25% of people who think that degrees are good value for money. Meanwhile, 23% of the group (between 1646- 1820 adults) were undecided.
Those surveyed were asked to consider whether or not the standard of education and the wages graduates earn mean degrees are worth the money.
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Are tuition fees good value for money?
Young people felt particularly strongly about the worth of degrees from English universities, with only 14% of them saying they are good value for money. However, when it comes to over-65s, 31% feel the same way.
English universities can currently charge tuition fees for undergraduate degrees of up to £9,250 a year. Students can apply for a tuition fee loan, which is paid directly to their university, and a maintenance loan to help with accommodation and living costs. This is paid in instalments directly to students three times a year.
In 2019, Office for Students detailed value for money as one of their primary objectives in its end of year review.
It said: “We secure value for money in return for the contributions made by individual students and taxpayers, in terms of student participation, experience and outcomes, high continuation rates and good degrees which hold their value over time.”
What do students think about tuition fees?
One recent graduate told Freshered: “I don’t think they are value for money, my individual tutors were great but the whole experience doesn’t equal £9.25k a year.”
They also cited the strikes and the Covid-19 pandemic as reasons why they don’t feel their degree was worth the money.
Another student, who is currently on their year abroad in the United States, said that they had always thought English universities were “really expensive,” until they came to the US and attended a college with fees of around $60,000 a year.
“There is so much spending in American universities that feels really unnecessary compared to in England. I also appreciate that in England, all universities have the same fees, so students aren’t influenced by that when deciding where to study.”
However, they think it is “unfair” that fees in English universities are “so much higher” than they were “for our parents’ generation.”
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