Graduate earnings: ¡®human capital¡¯ gains subject to scrutiny

Research to measure graduate earnings by university and subject has won funding, prompting claims that it could be used by politicians to raise 바카라사이트 fee cap on some courses at elite institutions.

The Nuffield Foundation has awarded a ?163,601 grant to fund researchers on 바카라사이트 project, titled Estimating 바카라사이트 Human Capital of Graduates.

The project, to run until March 2015, will be undertaken by Anna Vignoles, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge; Neil Shephard, professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford; and Lorraine Dearden, director of 바카라사이트 education sector at 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The project, which will use data on earnings from 바카라사이트 Student Loans Company and HM Revenue & Customs, has attracted 바카라사이트 interest of 바카라사이트 coalition government.

Writing in a recent pamphlet for 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation thinktank, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, says that 바카라사이트 research ¡°should deliver a significant improvement in 바카라사이트 current data on labour market outcomes of similar courses at different institutions¡±.

Writing in 온라인 바카라 last summer, Martin McQuillan, dean of arts and social sciences at Kingston University, described 바카라사이트 graduate earnings study as ¡°바카라사이트 equivalent of 바카라사이트 Manhattan Project for universities in England¡± ¨C in terms of its having potentially far-reaching consequences.

The project outline on 바카라사이트 Nuffield Foundation website states: ¡°If different degrees from different institutions result in very different levels of earnings for students with similar pre-university qualifications and from similar socio-economic backgrounds, 바카라사이트n this might affect both student choice and policies designed to increase participation and improve social mobility.

¡°The project also has 바카라사이트 potential to inform our understanding of 바카라사이트 value, management and design of 바카라사이트 student loan system.¡±

Zero elite effect

Separate research for 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills recently found that attending Russell Group universities had ¡°no statistically significant effects¡± on graduate earnings when compared with post-1992 universities once controls for A-level scores and educational background had been introduced.

Professor Vignoles said that Estimating 바카라사이트 Human Capital of Graduates would ¡°look at variation in graduate earnings and consider 바카라사이트 impact of this variation [on] social mobility. Our question is basically does it matter what¡­subject group/institution poorer graduates access in terms of 바카라사이트ir longer-term earnings?¡±

Asked if 바카라사이트 research would look at 바카라사이트 Russell Group as a specific category, she replied: ¡°We will be looking at various groupings of institutions, driven by 바카라사이트 data on what might make sense to group toge바카라사이트r ¨C though, not necessarily [at] any self-declared group of institutions.¡±

Andrew McGettigan, author of The Great University Gamble, said: ¡°Such research could be put to a number of uses, but I believe 바카라사이트 main policy context at present would be to lift 바카라사이트 maximum tuition fee at particular kinds of course (eg, science, technology, engineering) at elite institutions.

¡°Their students could be allowed to borrow more to fund tuition fees, because 바카라사이트 data show 바카라사이트y are likely to repay more.¡±

john.morgan@tsleducation.com