Public confidence in the value of a university degree in the United Kingdom has fallen sharply, as rising student debt, a tough jobs market and fears over artificial intelligence reshape attitudes towards higher education.
For many years, going to university was seen as one of the safest routes to a better job and higher pay. A degree was widely viewed as a strong investment in the future.
But that belief is now under pressure.
The latest British Social Attitudes survey shows that the number of people who believe a degree is not worth the time and money has more than doubled in the past two decades.
According to the survey, 34 per cent of people now say a degree is not worth it, compared with 14 per cent in 2005.
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At the same time, fewer people now believe university graduates will end up much better off financially than those who do not go to university. That figure has fallen from 50 per cent to 36 per cent.
The findings point to growing concern about whether higher education still delivers the financial reward many students and families expect.
The change comes after decades of expansion in the university sector. In 1983, only about six per cent of school leavers went to university. By 2025, that figure had risen to 36 per cent, with more than two million domestic students enrolled in higher education.
That expansion has changed the jobs market. There are now many more graduates competing for work, while some entry-level jobs no longer offer the same pay advantage that university leavers once expected.
Students are also paying far more for their education.
When tuition fees were introduced in 1998, they were set at £1,000 a year. Today, English students pay up to £9,535 a year, on top of living costs.
For many young people, the cost of university now means starting adult life with large student debts.
The survey suggests younger graduates, who have direct experience of tuition fees and loans, are more likely to feel disappointed with the system than older graduates who did not have to pay fees.
Concerns have also grown over student loan repayments. Repayment thresholds, the salary level at which graduates begin paying back their loans, have been frozen several times instead of rising with inflation. The thresholds are also due to be frozen for three years from 2027.
There is also anger over above-inflation interest rates on student loans, with critics saying the debt burden has become too heavy for many graduates.
The debate is now being sharpened by fears over artificial intelligence. Many students and parents worry that AI could reduce the number of graduate jobs, especially in fields where entry-level office roles may be affected by automation.
Universities, however, argue that a degree still brings clear benefits.
Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, said the labour market was difficult for everyone seeking work, not only graduates. But she insisted that the evidence still shows graduates are more likely to have jobs, earn more and enjoy better health.
She also said the country needs more graduates if it wants to grow.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, also said university still benefits most graduates most of the time. But he admitted that slow economic growth means the rewards are not always as strong as students hope before they begin their courses.
He said it was important to note that, despite years of negative debate, only one in three people think university is not worth it.
Student leaders say the problem is not only whether university is useful, but whether the funding system is fair.
Alex Stanley, vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students, said he was glad he went to university because it helped him reach his current role and gave him valuable experiences beyond the qualification itself.
But he said the funding system did not work for him.
Stanley said he had to take three jobs while studying, which affected his grades. He also said he still has more than £50,000 of student debt, which continues to grow despite his repayments.
He said the funding system was broken and was damaging trust in the university model.
“We want a university system where young people can go, spend three years expanding their horizons, deepening their knowledge and challenging their thinking, and then leave with a qualification that sets them up for the workplace,” he said.
“But right now, that is not the case.”
Alex Scholes, a co-author of the British Social Attitudes report, said universities were not only places of learning. He said they were also engines of social mobility and economic growth.
But he warned that public concern about student loans, the labour market and AI had affected people’s views about the value of a degree.
He also said universities were already under serious financial pressure, and that falling public confidence could make the situation worse.
The findings come after earlier surveys showed concern among students about whether degrees offer value for money.
A 2021 survey by the Higher Education Policy Institute found that nearly half of UK students thought their degree offered poor value for money. That anger was linked partly to the pandemic, when many students paid full fees despite receiving limited in-person teaching.
Students complained about the cost of tuition, lack of contact hours and the quality of online learning.
The wider picture now is clear: university is no longer seen as an automatic route to financial security.
For some students, it remains life-changing. For others, the cost, debt and uncertain job rewards have made the decision more difficult.
The challenge for universities and the government is to rebuild trust in the system.
If students are asked to pay more, they will expect better teaching, better support and better career outcomes.
For now, the message from the survey is stark: more people are questioning whether a degree still delivers what it once promised.
