Skip to content

Ask an Academic

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us
Teaching a class of students

Are first degrees being devalued?

September 23, 2019 by AskanAcademic.com

There is a mismatch between the wider economy and the level of qualification being attained.

Question

Are first degrees being devalued in the current UK higher education landscape?

Answer

Successive reports have questioned the value of an increasingly-saturated supply of first degree-holding new adults, with the proliferation of new institutions and an increasingly market-oriented recruitment ethos having been developed in the 21st century (CIPD, 2016). Students are being reconceptualised as customers, and are being sold a lifestyle as much as a qualification; in addition, the move to a loans-based system with students becoming potentially liable for the costs of tuition and maintenance has given rise to further debate about the economic worth of a first degree (Elliot, 2016). Increasingly, graduates are taking up non-graduate positions; the move towards democratisation of higher education access has not necessarily been responded to with an equivalent increase in positions and salaries reflective of the qualifications achieved. Data indicates that whereas 12% of UK young adults were in higher education, by 2014, that figure had increased fourfold to 48% (Elliot, 2016). There is a mismatch between the wider economy and the level of qualification being attained.
That is not to say that higher education schools have an automatic economic benefit. However, with undergraduate course being increasingly vocationally-oriented, there is perhaps reasonable expectation among students that their studies will lead to well-paying and career-structured lives after graduation; this would appear to not be the case for increasing numbers. The purpose of higher education for some may well be intellectual growth and development, but there are questions to be asked when there is a financial aspect in respect of loans repayments to students (Oxford Brookes, 2016). A more realistic balance between expectation and reality post-graduation is perhaps called for, not only so that undergraduate courses are not miss-sold, but that students do not set themselves up for a debt burden without first fully considering alternatives such as apprenticeships or informal education through MOOCs rather than the time and financial commitment to an undergraduate degree (Allegretti, 2015).

References

Allegretti, A. (2015) Bad news if you’re looking for a graduate job. Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/19/uk-students-graduate-jobs_n_8007718.html (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

CIPD (2016) Over-qualification and skills mismatch in the graduate labour market. Available at: http://www.cipd.co.uk/publicpolicy/policy-reports/overqualification-skills-mismatch-graduate-labour-market.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=cipd&utm_campaign=press_release&utm_term=893870&utm_content=alternative-pathways-111016-7427-18962-20161010160231-CIPD%20research (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Elliott, L. (2016) Huge increase in number of graduates ‘bad for UK economy’. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/oct/11/huge-increase-in-number-of-graduates-bad-for-uk-economy (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Oxford Brookes (2016) Higher education and higher learning. Available at: https://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/media/global/wwwadminoxacuk/localsites/oxfordlearninginstitute/documents/supportresources/lecturersteachingstaff/resources/resources/Higher_Education_and_Higher_Learning.pdf (Accessed: 12 October 2016).

Post navigation

Previous Post:

What is conformity?

Next Post:

Identify and discuss these HRM skills: critical evaluation, business acumen, and leadership and navigation abilities.

Search Q&As

Categories

  • Art Media and Literature (74)
  • Business and Management (256)
  • Computing and ICT (14)
  • Construction and Engineering (35)
  • Education (90)
  • Environmental Sciences (2)
  • Finance and Economics (91)
  • Health (64)
  • Languages (12)
  • Law (88)
  • Mathematics and Statistics (2)
  • Medical Sciences (19)
  • Politics and International Relations (83)
  • Research Methodology (1)
  • Science (49)
  • Social Sciences (101)

Archives

Who We Are

Askanacademic.com is owned and operated by All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration No: 4964706. VAT Registration No: 842417633. Data Controller No: Z1821391.

Registered office:
Venture House
Cross Street
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 7PJ

Main Navigation

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

Legals

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Categories

  • Business and Management
  • Law
  • Finance and Economics
  • Health
An an Academic Logo
© 2023 Ask an Academic | WordPress Theme by Superb Themes
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject
Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT