Best paying universities and degrees for graduates
In its latest study, Emolument.com analysed 2,400 salaries from graduates (less than 2 years' experience) with a bachelor degree from UK universities to find out which institutions and fields of studies guarantee the best income. Results show that a degree from a top university doubles the rate of pay.
Pay by university
University | Rank | Graduate Pay |
---|---|---|
London School of Economics | 1 | £38,000 |
City University London | 2 | £36,000 |
Cambridge University | 3 | £35,000 |
Oxford University | 4 | £34,000 |
Bath University | 5 | £33,000 |
Edinburgh University | 6 | £32,000 |
Durham University | 7 | £31,000 |
Imperial College London | 8 | £31,000 |
Loughborough University | 9 | £30,000 |
Warwick University | 10 | £30,000 |
Bristol University | 11 | £30,000 |
University College London | 12 | £29,000 |
Manchester University | 13 | £29,000 |
Aston University | 14 | £28,000 |
Nottingham University | 15 | £28,000 |
Birmingham University | 16 | £27,000 |
Sussex University | 17 | £27,000 |
Middlesex University | 18 | £27,000 |
Keele University | 19 | £27,000 |
King's College London | 20 | £27,000 |
Southampton University | 21 | £27,000 |
Strathclyde University | 22 | £27,000 |
Leicester University | 23 | £26,000 |
Leeds University | 24 | £26,000 |
York University | 25 | £26,000 |
Queen Mary University of London | 26 | £26,000 |
Exeter University | 27 | £26,000 |
Hull University | 28 | £26,000 |
Glasgow University | 29 | £26,000 |
Surrey University | 30 | £26,000 |
Staffordshire University | 31 | £25,000 |
Liverpool University | 32 | £25,000 |
Essex University | 33 | £25,000 |
Heriot-Watt University | 34 | £25,000 |
Kent University | 35 | £25,000 |
Hertfordshire University | 36 | £25,000 |
Gloucestershire University | 37 | £25,000 |
Newcastle University | 38 | £25,000 |
Cardiff University | 39 | £24,000 |
Sheffield University | 40 | £24,000 |
University of East London | 41 | £24,000 |
Northumbria University | 42 | £24,000 |
Huddersfield University | 43 | £24,000 |
Brunel University | 44 | £24,000 |
Greenwich University | 45 | £24,000 |
Lancaster University | 46 | £24,000 |
London Metropolitan University | 47 | £24,000 |
Plymouth University | 48 | £24,000 |
Portsmouth University | 49 | £24,000 |
Royal Holloway | 50 | £24,000 |
The Open University | 51 | £24,000 |
University of East Anglia | 52 | £24,000 |
University of the West of England | 53 | £24,000 |
Westminster University | 54 | £24,000 |
Leeds Metropolitan University | 55 | £24,000 |
Northampton University | 56 | £23,000 |
Kingston University | 57 | £23,000 |
Nottingham Trent University | 58 | £23,000 |
Bangor University | 59 | £23,000 |
Canterbury Christ Church University | 60 | £23,000 |
Reading University | 61 | £23,000 |
Sheffield Hallam University | 62 | £22,000 |
Coventry University | 63 | £22,000 |
Oxford Brookes University | 64 | £22,000 |
Birmingham City University | 65 | £22,000 |
Bournemouth University | 66 | £22,000 |
Brighton University | 67 | £22,000 |
London South Bank University | 68 | £22,000 |
Manchester Metropolitan University | 69 | £21,000 |
Roehampton University | 70 | £21,000 |
Southampton Solent University | 71 | £21,000 |
University of the Arts London | 72 | £21,000 |
Swansea University | 73 | £21,000 |
West London University | 74 | £21,000 |
De Montfort University | 75 | £20,000 |
Salford University | 76 | £20,000 |
Ulster University | 77 | £20,000 |
Aberystwyth University | 78 | £19,000 |
Queen's University Belfast | 79 | £19,000 |
University of Central Lancashire | 80 | £19,000 |
Anglia Ruskin University | 81 | £19,000 |
Goldsmiths University | 82 | £19,000 |
Liverpool John Moores University | 83 | £19,000 |
Cardiff Metropolitan University | 84 | £18,000 |
*Median Salary & bonus
Twice as good? Highest paid graduates (LSE, at £38,000 per year) earn more than twice as much as lowest paid (Cardiff Metropolitan University - £18,000 per year).
Are all degrees worth it? According to our data, those starting their career without a higher education degree can expect a salary of £19,000 at the beginning of their career, inches from the amount lower paid graduates will earn (graduates from the bottom 10 universities earn less than £20,000). From a solely financial point of view, a degree may not always be worth it.
What is the pay gap between disciplines?
Subject | Graduate pay* |
---|---|
Economics | £33,000 |
Engineering | £28,000 |
Management & Strategy | £27,000 |
Mathematics & Statistics | £27,000 |
Computer Sciences | £27,000 |
Accounting, Business & Finance | £27,000 |
Physics, Life Sciences & Healthcare | £27,000 |
Law | £26,000 |
Modern Languages | £26,000 |
Humanities (History, Geography, Politics...) | £25,000 |
Chemistry & Natural Sciences | £23,000 |
Psychology | £23,000 |
Media, Marketing & Communication | £21,000 |
English Literature | £21,000 |
Fine Arts & Design | £19,000 |
*Median Salary & bonus
Pick wisely... Regardless of the university, the subject students pick can mean a £14,000 pay difference at the beginning of their career: predictably, economy graduates earn £33,000, while fine arts & design grads only earn £19,000.
Science & business pay more than arts: The 7 best paying majors are all in business, sciences or economics, and offer salaries of up to £33,000 to graduates. Even the best paying art major (modern languages at £26,000) only reaches 9th place out of 15 subjects.
Alice Leguay, Co-founder & COO at Emolument.com said: 'With fees due to increase by over £9,000 this year, and students graduating with over £50,000 of debt on average, it is worth asking if the financial rewards a degree brings are worth the investment. Beyond a hoped-for increase in pay upon graduation, university offers opportunities for friendships, self-development through societies and sports, and a wealth of learning. However, if a degree cannot secure higher pay, it may be that university can no longer be seen as an investment but a boon only available to the well-off.'
Emolument provides bonus and salary statistics based on data submitted directly by professionals like you. It is free, anonymous, and already a trusted tool for thousands of professionals worldwide. Are you paid enough? Click here to find out now.
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