The latest British Social Attitudes survey<\/a>, which has tracked public opinion on university education for decades, found that 34% of people in 2025 agreed a degree “just isn’t worth the amount of time and money”, up from 14% in 2005. According to the survey, this is the highest level of concern about the value of a degree recorded in two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The research also points to a decline in optimism about graduate prospects. The proportion of people who believe going to university leaves graduates “a lot better off” in the long run fell from 50% in 2005 to 36% in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lukas Kaminskis<\/a>, chief executive of Turing College, said the figures reflected worry about cost and debt rather than a rejection of higher education itself. He argued that people were increasingly asking what skills would help them build a career, and that a degree could no longer be viewed as the only route, with employers placing greater emphasis on practical skills and continuous learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other commentators went further. Aaron Strutt<\/a>, of London-based Trinity Financial, said many qualified advisers in the mortgage and finance industries held industry-specific qualifications rather than degrees, and warned that student debt<\/strong> was taken into account for mortgage affordability, reducing how much graduates could borrow to buy a home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Antonia Medlicott<\/a>, founder of Investing Insiders, said the inquiry was overdue but argued the conversation society was avoiding concerned return on investment. According to Medlicott, a degree in a subject with poor graduate employment outcomes, funded by \u00a350,000<\/strong> or more of debt, was not a sound financial decision, and apprenticeships needed to become a genuine first option for many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 50,000 people have submitted written evidence to MPs, with many graduates saying they did not understand the terms of their loans when they signed up. Among those most worried are graduates <\/a>who took out Plan 2 loans between 2012 and 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gemma, who now works for a technology company, contacted the BBC to share her frustration. Her debt stood at \u00a334,105 shortly after she graduated in 2016, but her latest statement shows a balance of \u00a341,908 because interest is outstripping her repayments. She said her degree was worth it, taking her from a low-income background into a job paying just under \u00a350,000, but described living with the loan as “draining”. Now 33, she said it had contributed to a decision to delay starting a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graduates in England repay 9% of earnings above a threshold that is due to be frozen at \u00a329,385 from April 2027 for three years, meaning more will begin repaying earlier. The National Union of Students is asking the government to reconsider that decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/06\/Confidence-in-university-degrees-falls-to-a-20-year-low-as-a-third-of-people-now-question-whether-the-time-and-money-are-worth-it-\u00a9-Shutterstock-1200x727.jpg\")
Graduates Raise Concerns over Debt and Frozen Repayment Thresholds<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n