The Student Fact File 2011 · 2011. 2. 28. · reporting from a range of public bodies, making life...
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The Student Fact File 2011 Public data on students before, during and after university: at your fingertips OpinionPanel Highbury Crescent Rooms 70 Ronalds Road London N5 1XA Tel: (020) 7288 8789
Transcript of The Student Fact File 2011 · 2011. 2. 28. · reporting from a range of public bodies, making life...
OpinionPanel
Highbury Crescent Rooms
70 Ronalds Road
London N5 1XA
Tel: (020) 7288 8789
The Student Fact File 2011
Public data on students before, during and after university: at your fingertips
OpinionPanel
Highbury Crescent Rooms
70 Ronalds Road
London N5 1XA
Tel: (020) 7288 8789
PAGE 2
...helping you orientate yourself in the student landscape
The student market is blessed with excellent statistical reporting from a range of public bodies, making life for student market researchers at once both easy and difficult. While there is fantastic data available in the public domain, the abundance of information from a wealth of existing sources can make student research an overwhelming experience. That’s where our Student Fact File comes in. We have sifted through extensive sets of public data, combined this with some of our own research, and compiled many of the most useful statistics here, together in one place.
The information in the Student Fact File 2011 has been fully updated since the previous edition in 2009 and is organised into three sections following the student life cycle and, coincidentally, our panel structure, to help you orientate yourself quickly: Applying, Studying, and Graduating. So, whether you want to know which university has the largest undergraduate population, or which graduate professions generate the most satisfaction, you can find out here. We hope it’s useful, and don’t forget to call us if you need help in conducting primary research!
Ben Marks Managing Director, OpinionPanel
The Student Fact File
PAGE 3
What We Do
The UK’s leading student and graduate panel provider
OpinionPanel is the independent market
research agency dedicated to understanding
students before, during and after their time
at university.
Founded in 2004, we own and manage the
UK's largest specialist panels of students
before, during and after their time at
university: The Future Panel; The Student
Panel; The Graduate Panel; and, privately,
The Learner Panel for the Young People’s
Learning Agency (formerly the Learning and
Skills Council [LSC]).
Our services run from basic sample provision
to detailed full-service projects
incorporating qualitative and quantitative
methods. By blending our knowledge of
students, higher education, and commercial
marketing, with access to our market-
leading panels and sector knowledge, we
bring a fresh and insightful approach to all
the clients we serve.
A commitment to high-quality research is at
the heart of our business. We are an MRS
Company Partner and are working towards
ISO 20252 Certification. We believe we have
the best panel recruitment in the business
and we have clearly responded to ESOMAR’s
26 questions for panel owners. We have even
built our own CRM / workflow management
system to make sure every aspect of our
clients' work is well monitored and
communicated.
The Future Panel
The Future Panel was set up to provide access to
young people before they go to university.
Panellists are either university applicants, meaning
that they have applied to university (typically in
Year 13), or pre-applicants, who are thinking about
applying to university (normally in Year 12).
The Student Panel
The Student Panel provides access to those
enrolled at the UK's 170 publicly funded higher-
education institutions. Since 2004, via email
invitations from UCAS, we have recruited The
Panel from a random selection of almost the entire
starting population of students each year. Members
of The Future Panel also have the opportunity to
update their profile and join The Student Panel,
and each year, around 10% of new members join
unprompted via our website.
The Graduate Panel The Graduate Panel comprises recent graduates from UK publicly funded higher education institutions. Only former members of The Student Panel are able to join The Graduate Panel. That way we can take full advantage of our 'ac.uk' identity verification process. Plus we get to find out about our panellists' university course and achievements. Joining The Graduate Panel is an active process. Members of The Student Panel must provide us with a full status update including their employment status and ambitions, achieved grades and new living arrangements.
PAGE 4
Fig 1. Number of students in further education 6
2. Attendance at FE institutions: 16–18-year-olds 6
3. Proportion of 16–18-year-olds in education or training 6
4. Participation rates in education or training: 16-year-olds, male and female 6
5. Number of UCAS applicants and accepted applicants 7
6. Socio-economic status of applicants in 2008 7
7. Top ten reasons for going to university 7
8. Number of acceptances per applicant, by subject area 8
9. Number of applicants accepted, by subject area 8
10. GCSE achievements 1995/96–2005/06 9
11. Top 10 attributes influencing university choice 9
12. Non-academic factors influencing university choice 9
13. Importance of future employability when selecting degrees 9
14. The UK student population – at a glance 11
15. Age of accepted applicants 11
16. Male and female students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) 11
17. Sources of income for UK HEIs 12
18. Top beneficiary institutions for research funding 12
19. Universities listed by full time undergraduate and postgraduate population (top ten) 12
20. Expected debt at graduation 13
21. Acceptability of debt by course 13
22. ‘Higher education leads to financial rewards’ 13
23. Undergraduate degrees awarded between 1994/5 and 2008/9 14
24. Proportion of population attaining higher education in OECD countries 14
25. The bellwether demographic for brands 15
26. How often do students go clubbing in term time? 15
27. What do students plan to do in their summer holiday? 15
28. Students’ tempestuous relationship with the Liberal Democrats 16
29. Attitudes to the Lib Dems in December 2010 16
30. What graduates do after their degree 18
31. Proportion of UK-domiciled first-degree graduates working 18
32. UK-domiciled Higher Education qualifications awarded in 2009 19
33. Graduate employment rate 19
34. Postgraduate employment courses and further training considered by graduates 19
35. Most sought after career areas for new graduates 20
36. Gender split across Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) employers 20
37. Top 20 graduate employers (The Times) 20
38. Median graduate starting salaries by career area 21
Contents
Applicant Facts p.5–9
Student Facts p.10–16
Graduate Facts p.17–21
PAGE 5
There are over one and a half million 16–18-year-olds in full-time education. OpinionPanel allows you to reach this market through The Future Panel, comprising either young people who have applied to university, or pre-
applicants who are thinking about applying to university.
The Future Panel Base at June 2010
Total: 19,316 Pre-applicants: 3,823
Applicants: 15,493
Applicant Facts
PAGE 6
1,007
986
1,503
725
1,247
1,966
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1970/71 1980/91 1990/91 2007/2008
Fu
rth
er
Ed
uca
tio
n s
tud
en
tsin
th
ou
sa
nd
s
Men Women
63%
76%
74%78%
54%
62%
73%
77%81%
0
20
40
60
80
1985 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008
Pa
rtic
ipa
tio
n r
ate
in E
du
ca
tio
n a
nd
Tra
inin
g
am
on
gst 1
6 t
o 1
8 y
ea
r o
lds (
%) Men Women
59%
66%
78%76%
80%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
1985 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008
Pa
rtic
ipa
tio
n r
ate
in E
du
ca
tio
n a
nd
Tra
inin
g a
mo
ng
st
16
to
18
ye
ar
old
s
Further Education (FE) students are those who continue studying after completing compulsory education at the age of 16, or those who return to education in later life. In 2007/8 there were around 3.5 million FE students in the UK, compared with 1.7 million in 1970/71 - doubling the pool of prospective applicants for universities. The proportion of women in FE has increased from two in five (42%) students in 1970/71 to three in five (57%) in 2007/8.
Since the late 1980s, general FE, tertiary, and specialist colleges continue to be the most commonly attended FE institutions among 16–18-year-olds.
Percentage of total student population
2008 total
1988 1998 2008 (nearest thousand)
General FE, tertiary & specialist colleges
14% 20% 25% 504,000
Maintained schools
12% 17% 19% 389,000
Higher education institutions
3% 8% 8% 167,000
Sixth form colleges
3% 6% 7% 145,000
Independents schools
4% 4% 5% 85,000
Academies & City technology colleges 0% 0.2% 0.7% 14,000
Total
36%
56%
65%
1,304,000
Fig. 2 Department of Education: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16–18-Year-Olds, June 2010
At the end of 2008, just over 2 million 16–18-year-olds in England were in education or training. In 1985 only two-thirds (59%) of this age bracket participated in education or training; this proportion has grown to four-fifths (80%) in 2008.
From 1985 to 2008, the proportion of 16–18-year-old females in education or training has steadily risen, and since 1997 their figures have exceeded the participation rates of their male counterparts.
Number of Students in Further Education
Participation rates in Education or Training:
16–18-year-olds, male and female
Applicants... The pre-university years
Attendance at FE institutions: 16–18-year-olds
Fig. 1 Office for National Statistics (ONS): Social Trends 40, 2010
Fig. 3 Department of Education: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England: June 2010
Fig. 4 Department of Education: Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England: June 2010
Applicants
Proportion of 16–18-year-olds in Education or Training
PAGE 7
Students typically believe that the most important reason for going to university is to improve their job prospects. Improving salary prospects and improving knowledge in an area of interest also scored highly as motivations.
Fig. 7 Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey 2010 – Data collection (fieldwork) provided by OpinionPanel
34%
40%
42%
44%
45%
46%
46%
57%
58%
73%
To experience a different way of life
It's the obvious step- just what you do
Obtain an additional qualification
Essential for my chosen profession
To become more independent
To specialise in a certain subject/ area
Meet new people
To improve knowledge in an area of interest
To improve salary prospects
To improve job opportunities
The number of overall applicants to higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2009 has risen by a third (32%) from 2004 figures, whilst the number of accepted applicants has only risen 28% in the same period. This indicates a slight increase in competition over the available places at university.
2004
2009
Change over period
Applicants
486,028 639,860 +32%
Accepted applicants 377,544 481,854 +28%
Main scheme accepts 84% 83% -1%
Clearing accepts 9.2% 9.8% +0.6%
Direct entrants 5.9% 5.9% 0%
Applicants to acceptances ratio
1.3 1.3* 0%
Average applications per applicant
4.3 3.7 -0.6
Fig. 5 UCAS 2003- 2008
*UCAS figure to 1 d.p explains why applicants: acceptances ratio remains constant while ‘change over period’ of ‘applicants’ and ‘accepted applicants’ differ.
There were a greater number of applicants to HEIs from higher socio-economic backgrounds in 2008. The actual proportion of those applicants who are accepted into university, however, does not vary greatly according to the parental occupation of applicants.
Parental Occupation Applicants Accepted Applicants
% of Applicants Accepted
Higher managerial and professional
71,544 60,708 85%
Lower managerial and professional
108,498 88,455 82%
Intermediate 54,873 44,071 80%
Small employers and own account workers
27,583 22,403 81%
Lower supervisory and technical
16,299 13,195 81%
Semi- routine 66,393 51,277 79%
Routine 24,679 19,520 79%
Not classified/ unknown
132,592 105,395 79%
Total 502,461 405,024 81%
Fig. 6 UCAS 2003-2008 and ONS: Social Trends 38, 2008
Applicants cont.
Top Ten Reasons for Going to University
Number of UCAS Applicants and Accepted Applicants
Socio-Economic Status of Applicants in 2008
Applicants
PAGE 8
In 2009, there were, on average, five applications for every one undergraduate place in higher education. With nine applicants on average per accepted student, medicine and dentistry is the most competitive subject area.
Fig. 8 UCAS 2009
Business and administrative studies remains the subject area with the highest intake (58,545) at HEIs, while Non-European Languages (7,758) accepts the fewest applicants, and was the only category that saw a decrease in its intake from 2003 to 2009.
-45%
30% 32% 32%25% 27%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
600002003
2009
% Growth between 2003- 2009
Subject Group (JACS)
Applicants
to Acceptance
Ratio (:1)
Applicants
Accepted
Applicants
Medicine & Dentistry
9.1
84,479
9,233
Social Studies 5.5 205,063 36,977
Linguistics, Classics & related studies
5.4 69,829 12,910
History & Philosophical studies
5.3 79,139 14,848
European Languages, Literature & related studies
5.3 24,253
4,618
Non-European Languages and related studies
5.2 7,758
1,494
Subjects allied to Medicine
5.1 247,812
48,171
Biological Sciences 5 185,656
37,049
Law 5 111,085
22,059
Business & Administrative studies
4.9 285,634
58,545
Architecture, Building & Planning
4.9
50,519
10,289
Engineering 4.8 123,027
25,452
Education 4.8 77,135
16,128
Mass Communications and Documentation
4.8 53,546
11,057
Physical Sciences 4.7 81,235
17,328
Creative Arts & Design 4.5 236,077
52,382
Mathematical & Computer Science
4.3 122,817
28,538
Veterinary Science, Agriculture & related subjects
3.9 21,607
5,542
Technologies 3.6 11,536
3,177
Total
5
2,387,415
481,854
Applicants cont.
Number of Acceptances per Applicant, by Subject Area
Number of Applicants Accepted, by Subject Area
Fig. 9 UCAS 2003, 2009
Applicants
PAGE 9
This is a list of attributes rated as ‘very important’ by applicants when selecting their universities. On deciding which university to go to, applicants look primarily towards the teaching and course content of the institutions. Good course facilities also score highly as an influencing factor.
Fig. 11 OpinionPanel Higher Expectations 2009/10 Module 1 – Base: 10,070
Over the past few years, the recession has had a notable effect on applicant behaviour. In recent years, one of the marked trends in the HE decision making process has been the increasing influence of the prospect of future employment, which is having a greater impact on the way applicants choose their university course.
Fig. 13 Q.How important were each of these factors in your decision about which university to choose? -Those selecting ‘Very important’. OpinionPanel Higher Expectations 2009/10
From 1995/96 to 2005/6, the numbers of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs (A*-C) has grown from just under half (46%) to every two in three pupils (59%). Simultaneously, the percentages of those acquiring one to four GCSEs (A*-C), Grades D-G only, and no graded results, have decreased.
Fig. 10- ONS: Social Trends 34, 2008
Total Good teaching
60%
Course content and structure was what I wanted
60%
Good course facilities 56%
Friendly feel to the university 45%
High employability of graduates 43%
The course offered something very specific that I wanted to study
43%
Course has a good reputation among potential employers
40%
Develops skills 40%
In a city or town I wanted to be in 37%
Good learning resources (e.g. computers and libraries)
35%
1. Good Impression from open days 55%
2. Friendly atmosphere 43%
3. Geographic location 41%
4. Attractive environment 34%
5. Campus university 31%
6. Active social life/ good social facilities 30%
7. Living away from home, but sufficiently close for support
29%
8. Close to transport links (e.g. road, train, airport)
27%
9. City-centre university 25%
10. Recommendation from friends/peers 24%
2007/08 2008/09 2009/10
Base: 11,112 10,305 10,069
Future employability, overall 44% 47% 48%
High employability of graduates 39% 43% 43%
Course has a good reputation
among potential employers
36% 41% 40%
Develops skills 35% 38% 40%
Had strong links with industry 28% 30% 33%
Offers good placement or travel
opportunities
28% 31% 32%
Cutting-edge and full of ideas 26% 29% 30%
Fig. 12 Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey 2010 – Data
collection (fieldwork) provided by OpinionPanel
46%51%
59%
26% 24%
21%
21% 19%17%
7%6%
3%0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
1995/96 2000/01 2005/06
%
no graded results
GCSE Achievements 1995/96 – 2005/06
Importance of Future Employability when Selecting
Degrees Non-academic factors Influencing University
Choice
5 or more, Grades A*-C
1-4, Grades A*-C
Grades D-G only
Top Ten Attributes Influencing University
Choice
Applicants
PAGE 10
There are over 1.8 million undergraduates at university in the UK. OpinionPanel allows you to reach this market through The Student Panel, which comprises students covering all of the UK’s 177 publicly funded higher-education institutions. All members are recruited via UCAS, offering you the leading student panel with exceptional identity verification of all panellists.
The Student Panel Base at June 2010 Full-time UG (undergraduate): 58,256 Full-time PG (postgraduate): 1,238
Students
PAGE 11
In 2009, four out of five of accepted applicants (81%) entering HEIs were under the age of 21, although there are still a significant number of students who go to university in later life. In 2009, one in ten accepted applicants (12%) were over the age of 25.
Fig. 14 HESA 2009 Fig. 15 UCAS 2009
Since 1996/97 the UK’s student population has risen 36%, from 1.8 to 2.4 million. The female: male student ratio has continued to increase throughout this period. At 1996/97 levels, 52% of the student population were women; this now stands at 57%. There are currently more than 330,000 more women than men in HE institutions.
Fig. 16 HESA 1996–2009
1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09
Male 834,674 844,726 851,706 843,520 880,625 914,115 944,635 965,425 979,175 996,940 1,010,390 988,225 1,032,230
Female 921,505 955,338 994,051 1,012,820 1,109,995 1,171,960 1,230,475 1,282,015 1,308,365 1,339,175 1,352,420 1,317,735 1,363,815
Total 1,756,179 1,800,064 1,845,757 1,856,340 1,990,620 2,086,075 2,175,110 2,247,440 2,287,540 2,336,115 2,362,810 2,305,960 2,396,045
834,674880,625
979,1751,032,230
921,505
1,109,995
1,308,3651,363,815
1,756,1791,845,757
1,990,620
2,175,110
2,287,5402,362,810 2,396,045
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
2.2
2.4
2.6
Num
be
r o
f S
tud
en
ts (
Mill
ion
s)
Gender gap in student population ion the increase
Between 1994/95 and 2008/09 the number of undergraduates grew by half (51%) and that of postgraduates by two thirds (60%). The growth in numbers of overseas-domiciled undergraduates (98%) and postgraduates (163%) were substantial, compared to that of UK-domiciled undergraduates (47%) and postgraduates (33%). In 2008/09 overseas students comprised 15% of students in the UK; in 1994/95 this figure was only 10%.
Age
Accepted Applicants 2009
17 and Under 9,680 2%
18 years 205,631 43%
19 years 107,536 22%
20 years 43,639 9%
21 years 24,855 5%
22 years 15,598 3%
23 years 10,875 2%
24 years 8,140 2%
25 to 29 23,433 5%
30 to 39 20,423 4%
40 and over 12,044 3%
Total
481,854
100%
1994/95 2008/09 % Growth between 94/95 and 08/09
Undergraduates 1,231,988 1,859,235 51%
Postgraduates 335,325 536,815 60%
Undergraduate- UK domicile
1,138,119
1,673,655 47%
Undergraduate- Overseas domicile
938,69 185,590 98%
Postgraduate- UK domicile 265,481 353,430 33%
Postgraduate- Overseas domicile
698,44 183,385 163%
Total 1,567,313 2,390,655 53%
The UK Student Population – At a Glance Age of Accepted Applicants
Male and Female Students in Higher-Education Institutions (HEIs)
36% growth in student population since 1996/97
Students
PAGE 12
Fig. 17 HESA 2009 Fig. 18 HEFCE 2009/10
The University of Manchester has the largest full-time student population for both undergraduates and postgraduates. The five most populated universities by undergraduates comprise 9% of the UK’s 1.2m full time undergraduate population.
Fig. 19 HESA 2008/09
The total income of HEIs increased by 8.3% between 2007/08 and 2008/09 to £25.4 billion. £8.8 billion was provided by funding bodies and £7.3bn was contributed by tuition fees and education grants. The 40% cuts to the higher education budget in the spending review will be made up for by the increase in HEI tuition fees.
2007/08 (£)
2008/09 (£)
% Change from 07/08
- –08/09
Funding body grants
8,486,066
8,819,359
4%
Tuition fees & education contracts
6,267,029 7,282,639 16%
Research grants and contracts
3,713,077 4,144,582 12%
Other income 4,440,978 4,769,744 7%
Endowment + Investment income
521,780 356,942 -32%
Total Income
23,428,930
25,373,267
8%
Total research funding (£000s)
% of overall allocation
1. University of Oxford
119,434 7.5%
2. University of Cambridge
114,060 7.2%
3. University College London
104,916 6.6%
4. Imperial College London
92,761 5.9%
5. University of Manchester
83,000 5.2%
6. King’s College London
59,431 3.8%
7. University of Nottingham
51,045 3.2%
8. University of Bristol
50,424 3.2%
9. University of Leeds
49,502 3.1%
10. University of Sheffield
45,610 2.9%
University Undergraduate Population
University of Manchester
26,070
Manchester Metropolitan University
24,245
University of Leeds 22,015
University of Nottingham 21,710
Sheffield Hallam University 19,895
University of the West of England, Bristol
18,940
University of Plymouth
18,820
Nottingham Trent University
17,840
University of Northumbria at Newcastle
17,830
Leeds Metropolitan University
17,775
Total UK
1,272,030
Average 7,852
University Postgraduate Population
University of Manchester
6,900
University of Oxford 6,635
University of Nottingham 6,235
University of Leeds 6,140
University College London 6,080
University of Birmingham 5,685
University of Cambridge 5,615
University of Sheffield 5,475
University of Edinburgh 5,200
London School of Economics 4,815
Total UK
268,000
Average 1,654
Sources of Income for UK HEIs Top Beneficiary Institutions for Research
Funding
Universities Listed by Full-time Undergraduate and Postgraduate Population (Top Ten)
Students
PAGE 13
Fig. 21 Sodexo 2010, Data collection (fieldwork) provided by OpinionPanel
This table shows the increased
earnings that can be expected as a
result of going to university. Using
an index where the average
earnings of 25–64-years-olds who
completed the final stage of
secondary education is equal to
100, going to university is shown
to increase earnings by
approximately 60%. Compared
with those who do not complete
the final stage of secondary
education, those who go to
university can expect to earn 90%
more.
Fig. 22 OECD, Education at a glance, 2008
The average level of expected debt at graduation has seen a significant increase in the past few years. Since 2006, the average expected debt that students expect at graduation has grown by three quarters (72%) from £11,345 in 2006 to £19,562 in 2010. This can largely be attributed to the ‘top up fees’ which came in to effect for the 2006/07 academic year.
2006 2008 2010
£0
24%
14%
15%
£1– £2500 7% 4% 4%
£2501– £5000 8% 4% 4%
£5001– £7500 5% 3% 2%
£7501–£10,000 17% 12% 11%
£10,001– £12,500 11% 9% 5%
£12,501– £15,000 13% 13% 9%
£15,001– £17,500 4% 4% 2%
£17,501– £20,000 7% 19% 20%
£20,001 + 4% 18% 28%
Average Expected
Debt
£11,345
£14,4681
£19,562
Fig. 20 Sodexo 2006, 2008, 2010, Data collection (fieldwork) provided by OpinionPanel
Q. Is the expected level of debt an acceptable investment?
Over a quarter of students (28%) believe that their expected debt at graduation is definitely an acceptable investment. This figure varies considerably with the subject studied by the respondent. While two in five studying medicine and its allied subjects (41%) believe their expected debt is definitely an acceptable investment, only one in five studying the humanities and arts (20%) agree.
Definitely Yes
Probably Yes
No/ don’t know
Overall 2010
28%
39%
33%
Humanities & Arts 20% 37% 43%
Social Sciences 24% 40% 36%
Science & Engineering 31% 41% 28%
Maths/ Computing & Technology
29% 45% 26%
Business & Management
30% 42% 28%
Law 27% 41% 32%
Medicine & allied subjects
41% 36% 23%
Education Level
Year Below upper secondary (below A-levels or equivalent)
Tertiary (university undergraduate
degree)
1998 66 157
1999 69 162
2000 69 160
2001 70 160
2002 68 157
2003 69 162
2004 69 157
2005 71 158
2006 71 160
2007 70 157
2008 71 154
Expected Debt at Graduation Acceptability of Debt by Course
Higher Education Leads to Financial Rewards
Students
PAGE 14
Overall, in 2008/09 there was a 41% increase in the number of degrees awarded since 1994/95 figures. Breaking this growth down into degree classifications reveals a pattern of ‘grade inflation’. The number of Firsts awarded throughout this period grew by 158%, well above the overall growth of 41%, while 2:1s awarded grew by 55%. Lower Seconds grew by only 12% and since 1996/97 Thirds and Unclassified grades have grown 7% each, lagging behind the overall growth in degrees awarded.
Fig. 23 OECD, Education at a glance, 2008
This chart compares the proportions of the populations of OECD countries who have undertaken higher education, looking at the 2008 levels of 25–34 and 55–64-year-olds who have graduated from HEIs. In almost all the countries, the level of attainment has grown significantly for the younger generation. A third (35%) of the younger cohort on average has tertiary education attainment, compared with only one in five (20%) for the older cohort, indicating the increased accessibility to university since three to four decades ago.
Fig. 24 OECD, Education at a glance, 2010
1994/ 95 1995/ 96 1996/ 97 1997/ 98 1998/ 99 1999/ 00 2000/ 01 2001/ 02 2002/ 03 2003/ 04 2004/ 05 2005/ 06 2006/ 07 2007/ 08 2008/ 09
1st 16,687 17,305 18,079 19,472 20,728 21,770 24,095 26,455 28,635 30,175 34,265 34,825 36,645 41,150 43,125
Upper Second 95,824 102,720 104,949 108,588 111,751 113,740 118,460 121,240 123,800 127,935 132,770 137,235 138,745 148,265 148,360
Lower Second 82,898 89,146 90,802 89,491 92,048 90,300 89,750 86,650 88,260 90,470 92,610 94,265 92,795 95,145 93,030
Third 13,770 13,536 22,190 21,205 20,829 20,110 21,150 19,620 20,670 20,785 22,290 22,845 23,195 23,990 23,800
U 27,874 28,541 19,420 18,158 18,315 19,350 19,205 20,470 21,010 22,725 26,235 26,815 27,880 26,260 25,325
16,687
28,63534,265
43,125
95,824
108,588
118,460
127,935
138,745148,360
82,898
89,49190,300 88,260
94,265 93,030
13,77023,800
27,87425,325
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
160000
Num
ber
of
degre
es
aw
ard
ed
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Ko
rea
Can
ad
a
Russia
Ja
pa
n
New
Ze
ala
nd
Norw
ay
Ire
lan
d
Den
ma
rk
Isra
el
Be
lgiu
m
Au
str
alia
Unite
d S
tate
s
Sw
ed
en
Fra
nce
Neth
erl
an
ds
Sp
ain
Lu
xe
mb
ou
rg
Sw
itze
rla
nd
UK
Fin
lan
d
Esto
nia
OE
CD
ave
rag
e
Chile
Ice
lan
d
Po
lan
d
Slo
ve
nia
Gre
ece
Hun
ga
ry
Ge
rma
ny
Po
rtu
ga
l
Ita
ly
Me
xic
o
Au
str
ia
Slo
va
k R
ep
ub
lic
Cze
ch
Rep
ub
lic
Tu
rke
y
Bra
zil
%
25-34 Year Olds
55-64 Year olds
Proportion of Population Attaining Higher Education in OECD Countries
Undergraduate Degrees Awarded between 1994/95 and 2008/09
No. of 2:1s awarded increased by 55%
Number of 2:2s increased by 12%
Firsts increased by 158%
Students
PAGE 15
Fig. 25 OpinionPanel, 2010
Fig.2- OpinionPanel, The Student Omnibus, June 2010: On average during term time, how often do you go clubbing? (1,000)
Fig27. OpinionPanel, The Student Omnibus, June 2010 Which of the following do you plan to do over the
Why do students matter? Because they’re the bellwether demographic:
Numerically large enough to matter- Nearly half of all young people become students before they turn 30. At any one
time there are around five million in, applying to, or recently graduated from higher education.
Enthusiastic early-adopters – or vehement rejecters- Students are, almost by definition, highly price-sensitive yet
willing to make personal investments and embrace change. This is potentially great news for challenger brands.
The ‘bush telegraph’ is working fine- High levels of social interaction and close quarters of accommodation, coupled
with universal social networking, means good and bad brand news travels fast: critical for viral messaging.
Student trends have always led the way- From social networking to the Romantic Movement; from energy drinks to
boycott movements; from TopShop mania to alternative comedy; students have always led the way.
Today’s students will be tomorrow’s wealthy citizens, opinion leaders and influencers- The OECD calculates that the
average lifetime earnings of degree holders is 60% greater than those with just A levels.
Students
The Bellwether Demographic for Brands
What do Students Plan to do in Their Summer Holiday?
63%
41%35%
21%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Get a paid job in the UK Go on holiday with friends
Go on holiday with family
Go to a music festival
How Often do Students go Clubbing in Term Time?
One in four students (27%) go clubbing once every couple of months during term time. There aren’t many ‘addicts,’ though one third (33.5%) go clubbing at least once a fortnight.
Getting a paid job in the UK was the most popular plan for students’ summer holidays in 2010, with three in five (63%) seeking employment over the summer months. Two in five (41%) planned to go on holiday with friends, whilst only one third (35%) made plans to go on holiday with their family. One in five students (21%) planned to go to a music festival.
PAGE 16
Just one in ten (11%) of those eligible to vote would back the Lib Dems in a general election, while two in five (40%) would support Labour and one in seven (15 %) the Conservatives.
Just over four in five students who voted Lib Dem in the general election (83 %) said they felt let down by the Lib Dem leadership's decision to back higher fees.
Only one in ten (9%) of all students said they felt any sympathy for the Lib Dems over claims they did not realise how dire the financial situation was before forming the coalition government.
summer holidays? (1,000)
Fig.28 OpinionPanel, The Student Omnibus Nov ‘09-Nov ’10: How would you vote if there were a general election tomorrow? All likely to vote, excluding those who would not vote and don’t know who for
Fig.29 OpinionPanel The Student Omnibus, Base: Poll for Channel 4 news, December 2010 (1,000)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Nov-09 Dec-09 Jan-10 Feb-10 Mar-10 Apr-10 May-10 Jun-10 Jul-10 Aug-10 Sep-10 Oct-10 Nov-10
Stu
dent
Sup
port
(%
)
Others
Labour
Conservative
Lib Dem
Students
General election, May 6th
Students’ Tempestuous Relationship with the Liberal Democrats
Support was split between the three main parties. A quarter (27%) intended to vote Lib Dem, compared with a third Conservative (30%) and a third Labour (32%).
Half (50%) of students intended to vote for the Lib Dems, at the expense of both Labour (20%) and Conservatives (21%) whose support dropped. This growing support for Clegg coincided with the leadership debates taking place on the 15th, 22nd, and 29th April.
February 2010
April 2010
May 2010
Just under half (48%) of all students actually voted for the Lib Dems on election day, compared to 22% voting for each of the other two main parties. (Based on results taken from the day after the election)
Around the time of the first student protest against tuition fees in November 2010, Lib Dem support dropped to its lowest point we have measured (15% among the student population)
November 2010
Attitudes to Lib Dems in December 2010
OpinionPanel’s Student Omnibus runs weekly and has a sample size of 1,000+ students from around 130 HEIs. This helps us keep abreast of issues facing the student population, and has measured one of the quickest political love affairs in recent history. Wooing students with his strong performance in the leadership debates, Nick Clegg gained dramatic support for the Lib Dems in the
run up to the election. Opinion Panel’s more recent findings, however, show that this support may now be irreparably damaged.
Much of the drop in support for the Lib -Dems has been picked up by Labour. By November, four in ten (43%) students said that they would vote Labour if there were an immediate general election.
PAGE 17
Reaching recent graduates has never been easier. The Graduate Panel recruits graduates who have transferred from The Student Panel, maintaining our unique ability to verify panellist identity via ‘ac.uk’ e-mail addresses. On joining the panel, graduates provide us with information such as their degree classification and career aspirations,
giving us key insight in to graduate behaviour.
The Graduate Panel Base at June 2010 Full-time UG graduates: 14,845
Full-time PG graduates: 1,229
Graduate Facts
PAGE 18
Half (51%) of all 2008/09 graduates were in full-time paid work 4 to 12 months after receiving their qualification. While two-thirds (59%) of those graduating from part-time qualifications found full-time paid work, only half (49%) of those who studied full-time managed to do so. Part-time postgraduates (70%) were the most likely cohort to be in full-time paid work.
Fig. 30 HESA, DLHEI Report 2008/09
*Data collected 20 April 2009 (if leaver qualified between Aug– 31 Dec 2008)/ 11 January 2010 (if leaver qualified 1st Jan–31st July 2009) ‘Not available for employment’ & ‘Other’ excluded from table
Listed by the percentage of 2009 graduates employed by August 2010, the Sciences take up the top three places for subject courses. There were nine out of ten Medicine and Dentistry graduates who were employed (91%), followed by veterinary sciences (86%), and other subjects allied to medicine (76%).
Those graduating in Law inevitably have a much higher proportion than other graduates going on to postgraduate study (42%), given the requirement to take a further course to practise law as a career. Postgraduate study was a popular choice for the Physical sciences (31%), and Mathematical sciences (28%).
Computer science graduates have the highest unemployment rate (18%); this is followed by mass communication and documentation (14%), and engineering and technology graduates (13%).
FFig. 31 HESA, DLHEI Report 2008/09 *‘Other’ category excluded
Full-time paid work
Further study only
Part-time paid work
only
Assumed to be
unemployed
Work & further study
Voluntary/ unpaid work only
Total
Full-time 49% 18% 11% 9% 8% 2% 285,070
Postgraduate 65% 10% 8% 7% 7% 2% 50,025
First degree 46% 18% 12% 10% 7% 2% 205,340
Other undergraduate
44% 28% 8% 5% 12% 0.4% 29,705
Part-time 59% 6% 9% 3% 17% 1% 69,655
Postgraduate 70% 3% 8% 2% 13% 1% 28,210
First degree 54% 6% 11% 6% 14% 1% 21,840
Other undergraduate
48% 10% 9% 2% 25% 1% 19,610
Total 361,885
51% 109,470
15% 72,230 10%
53,690 8%
68,020 10%
11,280 2%
709,455
Work Only Postgraduate study only
Work & Postgraduate study
Assumed to be unemployed
Medicine & dentistry 91% 5% 4% 0.2%
Veterinary sciences 86% 3% 3% 6%
Subjects allied to medicine
76% 9% 8% 5%
Education 75% 10.% 7% 5% Mass communication & documentation 69% 7% 4% 14%
Creative arts & design 65% 11% 7% 13%
Business & admin studies
64% 10% 10% 11%
Agricultural & related studies
63% 14% 7% 10%
Computer science 61% 13% 5% 18%
Combined 60% 19% 7% 10% Engineering & technology
59% 16% 6% 13%
Social studies 59% 17% 9% 10%
Architecture, building & planning
58% 16% 8% 13%
Biological sciences 55% 22% 9% 9%
Languages 54% 24% 8% 9% Historical & philosophical studies 50% 27% 8% 10%
Physical sciences 46% 31% 6% 11%
Mathematical sciences 43% 28% 12% 10%
Law 35.8% 42% 11% 6%
What Graduates Do After Their Degree
Proportion of UK Domiciled First Degree Graduates Working
Graduates
PAGE 19
72%
28%
Fig.32 HESA, DLHEI Report 2008/09 Fig. 33 HESA, DLHEI Report 2002/03 - 2008/09
Number of Qualifications Awarded
First Degrees 260,750
Other postgraduate degrees
44,130
Undergraduate diplomas/ certificates
25,665
PGCEs 22,840
Foundation degrees 10,600
Doctorate degrees 7,305
Academic Year Employed Unemployed Base
2008/09 72.4% 7.6% 354,730
2007/08 74.9% 6.5% 344,715
2006/07 77% 4.7% 332,110
2005/06 76.7% 5.1% 327,760
2004/05 76.3% 5.3% 319,260
2003/04 76.1% 5.3% 313,065
2002/03 75.5% 5.5% 307,650
Graduates
UK-Domiciled Higher-Education Qualifications Awarded in 2009
Graduate Employment Rate
The following table shows the percentage of graduates employed and unemployed, six months after leaving university. From the 2002/03 to the 2005/06 academic year, graduate employment was increasing and unemployment was decreasing. Since the 2006/07 academic year, this trend has reversed. Unemployment rates for those graduating in the 2008/09 academic year were at their highest since 1994.
20%
40%
40%
Yes, firm plans
Yes, vague plans
No plans
Post-graduate Courses and Further Training Considered by Graduates
Q. Have you considered taking any post-graduate
courses or further training?
No
Yes
Q. You said you’ve considered taking a post-graduate course or
further training. Have you made any firm plans?
Of those who said yes
11%
14%
25%
26%
71%
Other
Vocational …
PhD
PGCE
Masters
We asked members of the student panel to tell us their plans on graduation. In Q4 2010, almost three quarters (72%) of new graduates were considering post-graduate or further training, reflecting the economic downturn and employment difficulties faced by recent graduates.
Fig. 34 OpinionPanel, The Graduate Panel Recruitment Questionnaire- Q4 2010.
Q. What sort of post-graduate courses or further training have you considered?
Base: 2,330 Base: 1676
Base: 1676
PAGE 20
Fig. 35 OpinionPanel, The Graduate Panel Recruitment Questionnaire- Q4 2010 (Base: 2,330)
Fig. 36 AGR, Graduate Recruitment Survey, winter 2009 Fig. 37 The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2008-9
1. Media/broadcasting/publishing 20%
2. Health/medicine 17%
3. Education - nursery, primary or secondary 14%
4. Charity/voluntary/non-profit 14%
5. Finance/banking 12%
6. Education - further/higher 12%
7. Art/design/fashion 12%
8. Civil Service 10%
9. Performing arts/drama/music 10%
10. Social services/welfare 9%
11. IT/Telecommunications 9%
12. Travel/tourism/leisure 9%
13. Police/armed forces/prison service 8%
14. Local government 8%
15. Marketing/market research 8%
16. Law 7%
17. Engineering 6%
18. Retail/distribution 4%
19. Aviation 4%
20. Agriculture/forestry/fishing 4%
21. Pharmaceuticals 4%
22. Surveying/planning/real estate 3%
23. Building and construction 2%
24. Transport 2%
25. Manufacturing 2%
None of these 5%
1. Pricewaterhouse Coopers
2. Deloitte
3. Civil Service
4. KPMG
5. Aldi
6 NHS
7. Teach First
8. Accenture
9. BBC
10. Ernst & Young
11. Army
12. Proctor & Gamble
13. Tesco
14. GlaxoSmithKline
15. Goldman Sachs
16. HSBC
17. Barclays Bank
18. BP
19. IBM
20. L’Oreal
Female (%)
Male (%)
FMCG company 58 42
Public Sector 56 44
Retail 55 45
Law Firm 55 45
Accountancy/ Professional Services 45 55
Insurance Company 44 57
Banking or Financial Services 40 60
Transport or Logistics 38 62
Consulting or Business Services 37 63
Engineering or Industrial 32 68
Construction Company/ Consultancy 31 70
Investment Bank or Fund Managers 28 72
Energy, Water or Utilities 26 74
IT 23 78
Gender Split across Association of Graduate
Recruiters (AGR) Employers
Female graduates take the majority of positions within fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) companies, the public sector, retail and law; in all other sectors they constitute the minority of employees. The proportion of women in the graduate intake in IT, energy, water or utility companies, and investment banks/ fund managers falls below one in three (-30%).
Top 20 Graduate Employers
Based on research with 16,114 graduates who left university in 2010, The Times has ranked its Top
100 Graduate Employers list.
Graduates
Most Sought After Career Areas for New Graduates
In Q4 2010, we asked members of the student panel to tell us what areas of work they would most like to go in to. Shown below are the most popular employment areas that new graduates would ‘really like to work in’. This list has been ranked by the
number of responses per employment area.
PAGE 21
Legal work and Investment banking were joint leaders in median starting salaries in 2008, paying an average graduate salary of £37,000. In 2008 the average graduate salary was £25,320.
Fig. 38 AGR, Graduate Recruitment Survey, Winter 2009
Science £24,444
Purchasing £24,000
Electrical/Electronic Engineering £24,000
Mechanical Engineering £23,500
Research and Development £23,500
Logistics £23,500
Civil Engineering £23,500
Marketing £22,000
Retail Management £22,000
Human Resources £21,000
General Management £20,500
Median Salaries
Legal Work £37,000
Investment Banking £37,000
Consulting £27,000
Actuarial Work £27,000
IT £26,500
Accountancy £25,000
Sales £25,000
Manufacturing Engineering £25,000
Financial Management £25,000
Median Graduate Starting Salaries by Career Area
Graduates
PAGE 22
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