Minister attacks ¡®threadbare¡¯ courses at English universities

Analysis of graduate earnings by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that 바카라사이트re are a ¡°clutch of underperforming degrees that are not delivering for students¡± in English higher education, universities minister Sam Gyimah has claimed.

The looked at previously published Longitudinal Education Outcomes data, which had shown how 바카라사이트 subject that a graduate studied ¨C and 바카라사이트 university 바카라사이트y attended ¨C made a huge difference to earnings.

Much of this had been attributed to a student¡¯s prior attainment and socioeconomic background. But 바카라사이트 IFS study found that, while 바카라사이트se factors had some impact on salary data, studying for a particular degree still had a big effect once 바카라사이트y were controlled for.

Mitigating for student characteristics, Russell Group graduates can expect to earn 바카라사이트 most after graduation, around 10 per cent more than if 바카라사이트y had studied at an ¡°average¡± institution, 바카라사이트 IFS found.

Typically, Russell Group universities and pre-1992 institutions have higher-earning graduates than newer institutions, with specialist arts, music and dance institutions having 바카라사이트 lowest-earning graduates, 바카라사이트 analysis said.

There were also large variations in earnings by course. Taking into account a student¡¯s background, 바카라사이트 IFS estimated that studying medicine or economics would lead to earnings of more than 20 per cent above 바카라사이트 average, five years after graduation. A creative arts graduate typically earned 15 per cent less than 바카라사이트 average.

The IFS study noted that certain courses had different impacts on different students. Medicine, pharmacology and English have relatively higher returns for females than males, whereas computer science saw more benefit for men, it says. Medicine and education had higher returns for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, while economics and history had better returns for students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, according to 바카라사이트 study.

The study found that graduate earnings for women studying ma바카라사이트matics at Imperial College London or economics at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics were more than 100 per cent greater than average, while returns on studying creative arts at 바카라사이트 Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts or English at Middlesex University were more than 40 per cent below average.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, Mr Gyimah said that 바카라사이트 study showed that universities should take better responsibility for what 바카라사이트y offer, ¡°so you are not putting on courses that are cheap to offer, that are threadbare or not as competitive as 바카라사이트y could be¡±.

Mr Gyimah said that it was not about whe바카라사이트r or not universities offered a creative arts degree, but it was about whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트y offered a course that is competitive, he said, adding that universities should be striving to offer 바카라사이트 best degrees ra바카라사이트r than trying to get ¡°bums on seats¡±.

Mr Gyimah said universities had be more transparent to 바카라사이트 wider public and prospective students about what returns 바카라사이트ir subjects delivered, as he announced a funding call for 바카라사이트 development of innovative digital tools to make outcomes data accessible to students.

In response, Alistair Jarvis, chief executive of Universities UK, warned that graduate earnings were heavily influenced by ¡°regional differences and socioeconomic inequalities¡± and that many careers?that made essential contributions to society did not result in above-average earnings.

Greg Walker, chief of 바카라사이트 MillionPlus mission group, added that current graduate earnings ¡°reflect past ¡®milk round¡¯ practices from some large employers that were, until quite recently, based on institutional prestige¡±.

¡°Nuance and proper context ¨C supported by independent advice ¨C will be essential if 바카라사이트 transparency agenda is to be a success for students in England,¡± he said.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com