Half of students in Wales regret going to university

Emma Finamore
29 Aug 2018

A shocking 62% also said they do not need a degree to do their current job.

Placeholder — Fear of not being able to get a job after university was a prominent worry

Half of students in Wales regret going to university and over 60% of graduates say they do not need a degree to do their current job, according to new research.

Barclays Apprenticeships – examining attitudes on a national level – found that in Wales, 50% of students and graduates who had left university in the last five years say they regret their decision to go to university. A shocking 62% said they do not need a degree to do their current job.

The study also revealed that 58% of young people in Wales felt under pressure to go to university, with the majority (35%) saying this came from teachers, followed by parents (33%).

Despite their children’s worries, half of parents of students and graduates said they would not have been disappointed had their child not gone to university and instead considered other routes. In fact, 67% said they would actually encourage their child to do an apprenticeship over a university degree.

50% of students and graduates who had left university in the last five years say they regret their decision to go to university. A shocking 62% said they do not need a degree to do their current job.

This has shifted since 2016, when 77% of parents in Wales felt university was the best option for their child.

Fear of not being able to get a job after university was a prominent worry for 45% of young people in Wales who did (or are doing) a degree and 50% cited said that improving their job prospects was the reason for obtaining a degree.

However, three quarters (75%) of employers in Wales said they valued Degree Apprenticeships just as highly as a standard university degree and 94% say they would hire someone who had done an apprenticeship or a degree via the apprenticeship route.

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