Why it pays to study ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees
Graduates from former polytechnics ‘outearn many taking traditional Russell Group university courses’
STUDENTS graduating with so-called “Mickey Mouse” degrees from former polytechnics are earning higher salaries than peers with some academic degrees from Russell Group universities, research has found. Vocational degrees such as games art, virtual production and esports production can lead to better-paid jobs within five years of graduating than more established courses.
These include English literature, law and neuroscience, according to analysis of data released by Discover Uni, the government-backed source of information about UK higher education.
Students at Aberystwyth University studying a BA in computer graphics, vision and games take home an average salary of £34,000 five years later, while those taking a BSc in games design, from Bournemouth University earn an average salary of £32,000, according to Discover Uni.
A graduate of a BSc degree in esports production from the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, which is part of Nottingham Trent University, earns an average of £31,500 five years on.
A student who graduated from Bristol University with a BA in English can also expect to earn an average of £31,500 five years after leaving. However, a law student from Liverpool will take home £29,000, while a graduate of neuroscience from Nottingham University will earn an average of £30,500, according to Discover Uni.
Other traditional degree courses from Russell Group universities where graduates fall short in earnings after five years compared with some vocational courses at new universities, include education at Cambridge, where average salaries are £31,000; history at Edinburgh, at £31,500; biochemistry at Exeter, where students earn an average of £26,500; and genetics at York, where they are likely to be on £28,500.
Craig Chettle, founder of the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, said: “I’ve no problem with people going to the Russell Group because it’s a great thing to do, but it’s not the only route.”
The Institute, which was founded in 1994, offers three-year degrees on courses including esports, virtual production and content creation.
Mr Chettle said the degrees are geared towards skills around “modern immersive types of experiences” which are in demand from companies such as live event producers. Some graduates are going into jobs with salaries in the “high tens of thousands”, he added.
Parents have been urged to drop an obsession with academic degrees at Russell Group institutions.
Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: “The Russell Group is a self-selecting lobbying club of, largely, older universities. It’s a nonsense to think they offer the best opportunities for everyone interested in going to university.”
A Russell Group spokesperson said: “Graduates from our universities are more likely to complete their courses, with 84 per cent of working graduates in highly-skilled employment after 15 months of graduating in 2020-21.”