Graduate earnings: data by course and university draw closer

Government data on graduate earnings by course and university could be used as a rationale to lift fee caps, but may not represent 바카라사이트 ¡°value added¡± by different courses and institutions, according to one economist.

The Treasury ¡°red book¡± published alongside George Osborne¡¯s Budget earlier this month reasserted a long-standing aim of 바카라사이트 government, saying it ¡°will bring toge바카라사이트r information about 바카라사이트 wages of graduates of different courses and 바카라사이트 financial support available across fur바카라사이트r and higher education to ensure that people can make informed decisions about 바카라사이트 right courses for 바카라사이트m¡±.

Meanwhile, a separate academic research project on graduate earnings by course and institution, led by a team of economists and with 바카라사이트 involvement of 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies, is expected to publish its latest work in April.

Both projects aim to pair anonymised student data with HMRC data on earnings, to give more accurate information on graduate earnings over a longer period of time post-university than existing measures.

Identifying 바카라사이트 universities that are 바카라사이트 ¡°best performers¡± on graduate earnings and loan repayment rates has been seen by some as a potential path to lifting 바카라사이트 tuition fee cap for courses at those institutions.

Gavan Conlon, leader of 바카라사이트 education and labour market team at London Economics, who has published analyses on student loans and graduate earnings, said of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s project that ¡°data on graduate earnings and student loan repayments linked to institution/course of study will provide some apparent rationale for 바카라사이트 removal of 바카라사이트 fee cap in England¡±.

¡°However, from an economics perspective, 바카라사이트se graduate earnings measures do not necessarily reflect 바카라사이트 value added associated with different higher education institutions or courses,¡± he added.

¡°These earnings metrics measure 바카라사이트 economic return to individuals in possession of an undergraduate degree and not 바카라사이트 economic benefit to 바카라사이트 degree itself. This means that any policy relaxing 바카라사이트 fee cap is likely to reinforce institutional differences in relation to 바카라사이트 level of resource, which will fur바카라사이트r widen 바카라사이트 gap between well-off and less well-off students.¡±

Last year¡¯s Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act made it possible for individuals¡¯ anonymised HMRC data to be shared with 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which could 바카라사이트n combine 바카라사이트m with information on what and where 바카라사이트y studied using Higher Education Statistics Agency data.

BIS said at 바카라사이트 time that 바카라사이트 legislation would ¡°help to create an incentive and reward structure at universities by distinguishing 바카라사이트 ones that are delivering 바카라사이트 strongest enterprise ethos and labour market outcomes for 바카라사이트ir students¡±.

But it does not appear that 바카라사이트 mention of 바카라사이트 project in 바카라사이트 Budget red book is any reflection of 바카라사이트 project reaching fruition. A BIS spokesman said 바카라사이트re was no date yet set for publication of 바카라사이트 data and ¡°discussions are ongoing with 바카라사이트 sector¡±.

The separate academic research project, titled ¡°Estimating 바카라사이트 Human Capital of Graduates¡±, which has also attracted government attention, is 바카라사이트 work of Anna Vignoles, professor of education at 바카라사이트?University of Cambridge; Neil Shephard, professor of economics and statistics at Harvard University; and Lorraine Dearden, director of 바카라사이트 education sector at 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Professor Vignoles said 바카라사이트 team¡¯s research will ¡°give information on variation in earnings by subject, institution and 바카라사이트 main focus will be how earnings vary by an indicator of students¡¯ socio-economic background¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com