A generation that has lost faith in university degrees.

Young people in the UK feel that a university degree is no longer as valuable as it once was. (Illustration: Pexels )

There was a time when going to university was the obvious choice because a higher level of education opened doors to better jobs with greater earning potential.

But as the earning advantage of college graduates narrows, student debt balloons, and fears rise that AI will take over the job market for graduates, public opinion is shifting.

Public belief in the value of a college degree has declined sharply over the decades, despite the ever-expanding scale of higher education . The British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA) shows that the percentage of people who believe a college degree is not worth the time and money has increased from 14% in 2005 to 34% in 2025. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who believe that a college education significantly improves financial conditions has fallen from 50% to 36%.

According to surveys, young people who have experienced expensive tuition systems tend to be more pessimistic about the value of a college degree compared to previous generations. In addition, the income threshold required to begin repaying student loans remains frozen instead of adjusting to inflation. Higher interest rates than inflation also increase financial pressure on students.

According to The Guardian , paradoxically, this shift in perception is coinciding with the rapid expansion of higher education in the UK. While in 1983 only about 6% of post-secondary students went on to university, by 2025 this figure had risen to 36%, equivalent to over 2 million students enrolled nationwide.

The rapidly increasing number of graduates has led to intense competition in the job market. Simultaneously, the cost of education has also escalated significantly. When tuition fees were first introduced in 1998, students only had to pay £1,000 per year. Currently, tuition fees have risen to a maximum of £9,535 per year, not including living expenses.

These concerns become even more apparent as the job market faces significant changes, including the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI). However, education experts argue that a university degree still offers many significant advantages.

Meanwhile, Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, noted that while the economic benefits of higher education are no longer as pronounced as before due to slower economic growth, the vast majority of graduates still benefit from a university education.

Conversely, many students believe that the financial burden is eroding confidence in the system. While still valuing the benefits of higher education, Alex Stanley, Vice President for Higher Education at the National Federation of Students, argues that the financial burden is undermining students' trust in the system.

Stanley said he had to work three jobs simultaneously while studying, which negatively impacted his academic performance, while his student loan wasn't enough to cover his living expenses.

"The current funding system has broken down, and that is eroding confidence in the university model," Stanley said.

Source: https://znews.vn/the-he-mat-niem-tin-vao-tam-bang-dai-hoc-post1656467.html