What subject to study at uni in 2024 to earn the most after graduating
Law grads make less money than sports science students and I’m shook
Most sixth form students struggle with an eternal dilemma – to study something you actually enjoy at uni, or sell your soul to some boring subject that may earn you more money. The Higher Education Statistics Agency’s (HESA’s) annual grad survey reveals whether you made the right decision.
HESA surveyed over 100,000 grads from UK universities who were in full-time employment 15 months after leaving uni, and figured out which subject will make you the most money.
Unsurprisingly, grads who studied a subject linked to medicine and engineering earn the most in 2024. Guess that’s what comes from having a degree that actually contributed something useful to society. Finance students clearly didn’t figure out the numbers for their own degrees, because their median salary is just £27,000 – the same as theology and forestry students.
The most fun-sounding degrees will earn you the smallest starting salary in 2024 – guess that’s the price you pay for actually enjoying uni. Maybe your parents were onto something when they warned you off drama GCSE, because theatre grads are making just £23,500 15 months after their degrees.
Here are the median salaries for 2021-2022 grads, ordered from lowest to highest:
70. Creative writing – £23,000
=68. Drama, dance and cinema – £23,500
=68. Animal science – £23,500
=63. Music – £24,000
=63. Linguistics – £24,000
=63. Communication and media studies – £24,000
=63. Art and design – £24,000
Tragically, creative subjects will not earn you much cash
(Credit: Rebecca Mayer)
=63. Architecture – £24,000
62. Law – £24,248
61. Celtic studies – £24,550
60. Archaeology and forensic science – £24,840
=52. Sport science – £25,000
=52. Sociology – £25,000
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=52. Social policy – £25,000
=52. Psychology – £25,000
=52. Hospitality, leisure, recreation and tourism – £25,000
=52. English – £25,000
=52. Criminology – £25,000
=52. American studies – £25,000
=46. Italian- £26,000
=46. History of art, architecture and design – £26,000
=46. East and south Asian studies – £26,000
=46. Classics and ancient history – £26,000
See Mum, the Classics degree was a terrific idea
=46. Biological sciences- £26,000
=46. Anthropology – £26,000
45. History – £26,446
=35. Theology and religious studies – £27,000
=35. Philosophy – £27,000
=35. Land and property management – £27,000
=35. Geology – £27,000
=35. Geography and environmental sciences – £27,000
=35. French – £27,000
=35. Business, management and marketing – £27,000
=35. Anatomy and physiology – £27,000
=35. Agriculture and forestry – £27,000
=35. Accounting and finance – £27,000
34. Food science – £27,300
=32. Nursing – £27,500
=32. Iberian languages – £27,500
=22. Town, country planning and landscape – £28,000
=22. Other subjects allied to medicine – £28,000
=22. Radiography – £28,000
=22. Politics – £28,000
=22. Physiotherapy – £28,000
=22. Middle Eastern and African studies – £28,000
=22. Liberal Arts – £28,000
=22. German – £28,000
=22. Education – £28,000
=22. Chemistry – £28,000
21. Information systems and management – £28,980
=16. Russian – £30,000
=16. Computer science – £30,000
=16. Civil engineering – £30,000
=16. Building – £30,000
=16. Bioengineering and biomedical engineering – £30,000
15. Natural sciences – £30,279
The dullness of a STEM subject is compensated by the higher salaries that science grads are likely to earn in 2024
(Credit: Emily Baldock)
14. Physics and astronomy – £30,500
=11. Mechanical engineering – £31,000
=11. Mathematics – £31,000
=11. Aeronautical and manufacturing engineering – £31,000
=6. Social work – £32,000
=6. Materials technology – £32,000
=6. General engineering – £32,000
=6. Electrical and electronic engineering – £32,000
=6. Economics – £32,000
5. Chemical engineering – £32,300
=2. Veterinary medicine – £35,000
=2. Pharmacology and pharmacy – £35,000
=2. Medicine – £35,000
1. Dentistry – £42,000
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