These are the unis you need to go to if you want to earn more than Russell Group grads

You hear it from your teachers at school, you hear it from your pushy parents and you don’t stop hearing it when you get to uni: Russell Group unis are the best. Or, at least they have the best reputation.

But does that reputation actually stand up? After all, they are literally just self-appointed. If any old uni felt like joining, they could just rock up to the hotel on Russell Square (yes, it’s actually named after a hotel) and gain all the glory.

So, you work your arse of getting in and it might be harder to get a first. But does all this pay off? Does Russell Group always equal more money when you graduate? Well, actually it doesn’t. It turns out there are a load of unis and courses where grads are earning a hell of a lot more than their Russell Group counterparts.

So, these are the unis you should have gone to if you wanted to earn more money than Russell Group grads:

Anglia Ruskin University

Anglia Ruskin University is high up for earnings in several subjects. For its architecture, building and planning course, it is the highest earner. Grads earn an average of £49,300 five years after graduating which is £12,400 more than Cambridge grads of the same course. Other Russell Groups including Liverpool and Edinburgh are a lot lower with average earnings after five years at £27,000 and £27,400 respectively.

University of Bath

Most Read

The heartbreaking reason behind Tulisa’s transformation and why she looks so different now

Emma reveals where she and Caspar are now and lots has changed since the MAFS UK reunion

Lacey and Nathan embroiled in nasty feud following ‘bitter rows’ after MAFS UK split

Bath is often mistaken for a Russell Group Uni. Probably given how picturesque the city is. It might not be, but its grads can earn a lot more than Russell Group grads in a number of subjects. For biosciences, for example, grads earn an average of £34,500 five years after graduating. This is £8,200 more than Glasgow grads and £6,800 more than Newcastle grads at £27,700.

City University London

City University London is ranked highly for its business and management course, amongst others. The average grad earns £51,100 five years after graduating but compare this to Russell Groups such as Liverpool where grads earn an average of £32,100, City students are raking it in.

St Andrews University

Of Kate and Wills fame, St Andrews is another uni often mistaken for being in the Russell Group when it isn’t. It tops most league tables alongside Oxbridge and, shock, this means its grads are making BANK. Its computer science students can expect to be earning around £56,200 five years after graduating. Compare this to Russell Groups such as Edinburgh with an average salary of £43,800 or Queen Mary University of London with £41,100, The Russell Group isn’t looking so appealing.

In other subjects like politics, St Andrews tops all the unis for graduate earnings. After five years St Andrews students earn an average of £48,900 but at Cardiff, a Russell Group, this goes down nearly 20 grand!

Bournemouth University

With an average of £31,000, Bournemouth University is the highest-earning uni for art and design grads. Compared to Russell Groups like Newcastle at £22,300 and even Oxford at £23,000, this feels like the big bucks. Bournemouth grads in engineering also earn a lot more than Russell Group grads from Manchester, Nottingham and Exeter.

University of Aberdeen

Another uni left out of the Russell Group, Aberdeen scores highly for grad earnings in a lot of subjects. With graduate earnings after five years at £34,700, it might be the exact same average as both Edinburgh and Glasgow, but it far tops other Russell Groups such as Birmingham at £27,700 and Sheffield at £26,500. Get me to Aberdeen!

University of Surrey

For courses like languages, the University of Surrey grads get the most bang for their buck. After five years, the average earnings for Surrey grads is around £38,000 but for the same course at Russell Groups like York, this is nearly 10 grand less (£28,100).

Loughborough University

Loughborough might only be known for its sport, but its grads are earning more than Russell Group grads in quite a few subjects. It’s the top-earning uni for media and journalism with an average salary after five years of £38,000. Compare this to a Russell Group like Cardiff with much higher entry requirements and you’d be £11,000 worse off. Grads of media and journalism and media and other Russell Groups like Liverpool were earning an average of £35,200 after five years.

University of Dundee

At Dundee, medicine grads have an average salary of £46,000 within five years of leaving uni, but at one of the best universities in the world, Oxford, this is £4,800 less at £41,200. This gets even lower at other Russell Groups like Leeds with an average of £37,200 and Nottingham at £29,200.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Revealed: The non-Russell Group unis you need to study at to earn more than Oxbridge grads

• The Russell Group uni cities where student landlords are raking it in the most right now

• Revealed: These are officially the druggiest UK universities in 2024