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Why do people go to university?

People go to university for a variety of reasons depending on their motivations. One of the common reasons is to increase their career prospects. A shows that graduates soon earn more per year than non-graduates, despite entering the labour market later. Graduates are also more likely to be in high-skilled roles. These jobs include engineers, scientists, teachers, or health service practitioners.

How can a degree help you to get a job?

There are many obvious and not-so-obvious ways that gaining a degree can help you get a job.

Skills and knowledge

Studying for a degree qualification will increase and develop your expertise. You’ll usually learn career-specific skills. You’ll also gain transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. You also develop the skills for independent learning. This means you can take responsibility for your own work, organisation, and motivation.

Competitive edge

Universities offer a large array of resources as well as expert tuition. These may include specialist libraries and archives, research facilities, or online databases. The extra resources you can access help you to broaden your knowledge and skills, giving you an edge over other candidates.

Making friends and contacts

Going to university opens up multiple opportunities to make connections. You’ll meet people from different backgrounds and disciplines. You can build up a network of friends, lecturers and professionals, particularly if your course has a work placement attached. These connections could open doors to jobs and collaborative projects in your future.

Our university profiles show you how each university helps you grow your employability skills. You can also check how well each uni scores for Graduate prospects on our league tables. Or use our Uniselect tool to find your ideal university, prioritised by graduate prospects.

How you can increase your chances of getting a job

There are several things you can do that will help you get the most out of your university experience, as well as increase your employability.

Choose the right course

With the rise in student fees and the cost of living, going to university purely for the experience is a thing of the past. Consider your career ambitions as well as your values to decide which course(s) will help you achieve your goals. There is a wealth of support available to help you choose.

Get involved with clubs and societies

Joining groups you’re interested in will develop your networking skills. A committee of students will lead each club or society. Their roles may include president, treasurer, event co-ordinator, or publicity officer. Take on one of these positions and you’ll often receive training, as well as developing useful skills. It will also give you valuable experience to put on your CV and to talk about at a job interview.

Attend career fairs

Career fairs are a great way to learn more about different industries, meet employers, and discover what job opportunities might be out there. You’ll also learn what employers are really looking for in a successful candidate. This will help you stand out from the crowd when applying for vacancies.

Get work experience with a part-time job

Your degree may involve work placements, but if not, you could get a part-time job if you can manage this alongside your studies. Having some work experience shows employers that you are motivated and responsible.

Unsure whether you can go to uni?

Do you think you can’t go to uni, because you don’t have the right grades or qualifications, or can’t afford it? There are options for you, in either case.

If you’re at school or college but didn’t get the grades you need, you can re-sit your exams and reapply. Also, some university degrees offer a foundation year which will accept lower entry grades. It means you get an extra year of study at university, where you learn about your subject while building your academic skills.

If you’re a mature student, you could take an Access to Higher Education Diploma or a similar qualification. This will build your skills and confidence in learning, ready to go to university.

You can also take a two-year foundation degree, then add on a top-up year to qualify with a full bachelor's degree. This means you gain one qualification – the foundation degree – and can top it up later at a time that suits you.

If you are unsure whether you can afford to study, remember there is help. UK-resident students can get financial support from student loans. Many unis also offer bursaries and scholarships. Or look for a degree apprenticeship. If you take a degree apprenticeship, your employer pays you while you study for your qualification.