Is going to uni still worth the money? Leeds students weigh in

Leeds students have shared their views on whether or not university is worth the money, as thousands of freshers across the country begin their degrees amid rising costs and one of the worst graduate job markets in decades.

With tuition fees now at £9,535 per year and rent prices soaring, university is now more expensive than ever, especially for students moving away from home for their studies. Add to that a 50 per cent decrease in graduate roles leaving many struggling to get a foot in the door post-uni, and it comes as no surprise that people are starting to question whether it’s really worth the investment. 

Indeed, a recent survey by the British Social Attitudes Survey found that over a third of people- 34 per cent in total- believe that a university degree isn’t worth the time and money. This marks a 14 per cent rise since the same question was posed to the public in 2005.

The Tab asked this very same question to students across Leeds via an Instagram poll, and the results were telling. Of the 109 students across all Leeds universities who weighed in, 73% believe that university is no longer worth the money it costs.

Students who voted “no” cited a variety of reasons, from a low job prospects to high tuition fees relative to the number of hours of in-person teaching on their course.

Liv, a student at the University of Leeds, said: “A university degree used to guarantee a good job, but now it doesn’t even guarantee a job at all. It feels like a scam unless you’re doing something like law that leads straight into a career.”

Via Unsplash

However, some students disagreed, maintaining that university is still worth the long-term investment. Ruby, also an undergraduate at the University of Leeds, said that she still believes that university is worth the money, telling The Tab: “Yes, because of future job prospects once you finish, especially when those that require a degree are often higher paying and therefore make it easier to repay the loan.

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“However I do believe it is a large sum of money and this puts a lot of people off especially if they are in a less fortunate position,” she continued. “Affording it can be a challenge and therefore to make it more inclusive lower costs would help.”

It’s true that facing large amounts of debt may act as a barrier for lower income students who are considering university. In 2024, the SLC reported that the average debt for graduates leaving university in England was £44,940. However, two tuition fee rises have occurred since then, and for students from lower income households who are eligible for the maximum maintenance loan (£10,830 for students living away from home outside of London) graduate debt is estimated to come in at over £60,000.

Emii, who is also studying in Leeds, agreed that the economic costs of university are too high, adding that it’s “less so about tuition but general costs to live away from home are rising, making it so much harder.”

Fellow student Thomas added: “The debt interest is the worst part.”

Last week, the government announced that they will be offering clearer guidance on student loan repayment terms. This decision comes after an investigation by MPs in July found that the current government advice failed to ensure that students are fully informed about what they are signing up for when taking out loans to fund their studies.

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Featured image via Wikimedia Commons Geograph Britain and Ireland under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0