Research and analysis

Undergraduate degrees: new estimates on lifetime earnings

Analysis of the estimated lifetime earnings return to undergraduate degrees by subject, sex and GCSE attainment.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 25 June 2026

Applies to England

Documents

Undergraduate degrees: new estimates on lifetime earnings

https://ifs.org.uk/publications/new-estimates-impact-undergraduate-degrees-lifetime-earnings

Details

This research uses the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset to compare the life cycle earnings and costs of similar people that do and do not attend higher education. The research also estimates the return to the exchequer of financing undergraduate degrees.

It makes use of additional years of data and presents new findings by GCSE attainment and cohort.

This is an updated and extended version of the 2020 report ‘Undergraduate degrees: lifetime labour market returns’. Both these reports are produced by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and commissioned by the Department for Education.

Published 25 June 2026