If you’re privately educated you’ll earn more than your state school mates

It’s official, private school grads will make more than their state school peers once they leave uni. 

According to new research, students who paid to go to school will earn more money than those from normal secondaries in similar city jobs.

Three years after leaving university, former private school kids earn £4,500 more than their state school counterpart in professions such as law and accountancy.

What’s more, public school grads increase their wage by £3000 more over the same period, suggesting that their careers progress more quickly.

The report says this pay gap is down to the quality of the university the graduates attended and how well they performed in public exams at school.

So this gives the privately educated graduates an advantage in securing higher paid jobs.

Henry Morris, the founder of UpReach said : “Despite doing as well academically, the pay of graduates from more privileged backgrounds rises more quickly than their peers.”

But the research also suggests non-academic factors account for at least half the gap in pay.

State educated grads supposedly lack “soft skills” such as confidence, articulacy and communication.

Chairman of the Sutton Trust, Sir Peter Lampl said : “We know that graduates from less privileged backgrounds are under-represented in the top professions but today’s research shows that they face disadvantage when it comes to pay progression too.”

The jobs studied were those classified in the top national socio-economic bracket so included jobs such as solicitors, university teachers, engineers and scientists.”

In this bracket, privately educated graduates earn on average, £36,036 per year compared to £31,586 per year three years after leaving university.

The news isn’t all bad for former state school kids though, as the report also found they have better staying power than public school graduates.

71 per cent of state school educated graduates remained in high status jobs after three years compared to 65 per cent of those who paid for their schooling.

But the report dismissed this difference as “only marginally statistically significant”.

The report still suggested that state school graduates were determined to succeed.

It said: “This suggests that once undergraduates from less privileged backgrounds access professional employment, they are more likely to stay and build a career within the professions.”