Overview

• Students graduate with an average debt of £53,000 following a tuition fee cap increase to £9,535 for 2025 entrants.
• Under Plan 5, graduates repay 9% of earnings above £25,000 starting the April after graduation and face a 40-year write-off on any remaining balance.
• Longitudinal Education Outcomes data reveal a wide earnings gulf, with economics graduates earning about £68,600 ten years out compared with £27,700 for education and teaching alumni.
• Recruitment firm Adzuna and other analysts link a 32% drop in entry-level graduate vacancies since late 2022 to AI adoption, intensifying the risk that degrees may not deliver expected returns.
• Pressure is mounting for government and universities to provide course-level earnings information and promote apprenticeships and other lower-debt routes to support prospective students.