Many people experienced debt, disillusionment, and delayed maturity as a result of attending university, despite the fact that it was marketed as a surefire route to stability, and people who eventually left university began full of hope, but the promise of opportunities never materialised. Instead, they were left with debt, underemployment, and a sense that they would have been better off starting work immediately.
The average student loan balance in England (2024-25) was £53,000. This is £5,000 higher than the previous year due to rising living costs, and interest rates mean numerous graduates pay back double what they borrowed.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that 1 in 5 graduates would be financially better off if they had not gone to university at all.
Meanwhile:
- Many graduate jobs now pay £10–12/hour, barely above non‑graduate roles.
- Competition is brutal: 140 applicants per vacancy, the highest since 1991.
- In 2024, there were 1 million applications for just 17,000 graduate roles.
Additionally, entry-level graduate positions are being eliminated by automation and AI.
One graduate with a BA and MA discovered her translation job had been superseded by AI within a year. She now has £53k of debt and no steady employment.
This is becoming common in admin, translation, marketing, research and junior legal roles, but these were once ‘safe’ graduate pathways.
Meanwhile, trades and early employment offer stability, and the Evening Standard reported that graduates are abandoning law degrees for plumbing, electrical work, and other skilled trades. The pay is higher, the work is stable, there’s a national shortage, and no debt is required to enter the field.
It was found that a young person who skipped university found faster progression, real independence, financial stability, meaningful skills and the ability to travel and build a life earlier.
Students felt pressured into university by teachers, parents, and school culture, and many said they were too young to make a £50k-£80k decision, and they felt their lost years could have been spent building a career, and that they were misled about job opportunities.
The maths is simple:
PathAge 18–25 outcome
University Debt £50k–£80k, unstable job market, delayed income, high competition
Work/Apprenticeship Earn immediately, gain experience, no debt, faster progression, real skills
This doesn’t imply university is never worth it — but it’s no longer the default “best path” it was marketed as.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 