The Aspire Guide - Flipbook - Page 16
University Choice, Jobs and Salaries
Research suggests that graduates earn up to £10,000 more per year than non-graduates. In 2018,
87.7% of all graduates were in work or further study within six months of leaving university.5
The median starting salary for UK university students who graduated in 2016/17 was around £20,600,
but this figure is too general to mean much - as mentioned on page 13, the university you go to has a
huge impact on the graduate salary you are likely to earn, as does the course you study and the career
sector you enter.
For example, the median salary for a Law student from the University of Birmingham one year after
graduation is £18,800. For a law graduate from Birmingham City University, it’s £15,600.
The median salary for a Business student at the University of Leeds one year after graduation is £22,000,
whereas if you study Business at Leeds Trinity University, you’re more likely to earn around £16,100.6
Average Annual Salary comparing
Universities and Courses
Annual Salary
£20,000
£15,000
£10,000
£20,000
£15,000
£10,000
£5,000
£5,000
£0
£0
University
University
Engineering
£30,000
Annual Salary
Annual Salary
£35,000
£25,000
£20,000
£15,000
£10,000
£0
Oxford
Cambridge
Durham
Birmingham
Bristol
Warwick
Manchester
Leeds Beckett
Sunderland
Average
Coventry
Glasgow
Portsmouth
Liverpool
Exeter
Derby
Swansea
Bradford
Huddersfield
£5,000
University
English Studies
£45,000
£40,000
£35,000
£30,000
£25,000
£20,000
£15,000
£10,000
£5,000
£0
Business and Management*
Cambridge
Oxford
LSE
Exeter
Durham
Bristol
Warwick
Birmingham
Manchester
Portsmouth
KCL
Liverpool
Glasgow
Average
Coventry
Leeds Beckett
Huddersfield
Bradford
Sunderland
Swansea
Derby
£25,000
LSE
Oxford
Cambridge
KCL
Warwick
Durham
Bristol
Glasgow
Exeter
Derby
Birmingham
Average
Portsmouth
Huddersfield
Swansea
Coventry
Manchester
Leeds Beckett
Bradford
Liverpool
Sunderland
Annual Salary
£30,000
£25,000
KCL
Oxford
Durham
Warwick
Portsmouth
Exeter
Bristol
Birmingham
Manchester
Huddersfield
Cambridge
Average
Swansea
Leeds Beckett
Liverpool
Glasgow
Sunderland
Derby
Coventry
Law
£35,000
University
* Or closest equivalent degree
Your choice of university matters a lot too! For example, if you studied Business and Management
at Derby, the average annual salary is less than £20,000, whereas if you studied at Cambridge, you
could earn nearly £40,000 per year.
This shows that making the leap to a university with more demanding entry requirements can pay off
hugely in the medium to long term.
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