University ‘pays off’ for graduates despite earning gaps

Analysis shows most graduates benefit from degrees, but some benefit far more than others

Going to university can “level the playing field” on earnings for students from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, but significant differences remain.

An analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies published on 26 March shows that going to university “pays off” on average for all graduates, even though “large unexplained earnings gaps between socio-economic and ethnic groups remain”.