UK university degree no longer ‘passport to social mobility’, says King’s vice-chance
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The UK now has a “surfeit” of graduates and students must accept that a university degree is no longer a “passport to social mobility”, a leading vice-chancellor has argued.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.
See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/03/uk-university-degree-no-longer-passport-to-social-mobility-says-kings-vice-chancellor#:~:text=Kapur%20said%20a%20university%20degree,graduates%20from%20around%20the%20world.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.
See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/03/uk-university-degree-no-longer-passport-to-social-mobility-says-kings-vice-chancellor#:~:text=Kapur%20said%20a%20university%20degree,graduates%20from%20around%20the%20world.
Reply 1
Strikes me as a spectacularly late to the party line of thought.
Reply 2
ringi
OP
14
Original post
by Admit-OneStrikes me as a spectacularly late to the party line of thought.
I agree for normal University and the fake Universities (ex polytechnics) but the likes of Kings remained significant for longer.
Original post
by ringiThe UK now has a “surfeit” of graduates and students must accept that a university degree is no longer a “passport to social mobility”, a leading vice-chancellor has argued.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.
See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/03/uk-university-degree-no-longer-passport-to-social-mobility-says-kings-vice-chancellor#:~:text=Kapur%20said%20a%20university%20degree,graduates%20from%20around%20the%20world.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.
See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/03/uk-university-degree-no-longer-passport-to-social-mobility-says-kings-vice-chancellor#:~:text=Kapur%20said%20a%20university%20degree,graduates%20from%20around%20the%20world.
I agree.
For some jobs/career areas you actually need degrees (e.g. medicine, dentistry, nursing, teaching, lawyers/solicitors etc). For those you would usually need to go to uni.
But for plenty of other jobs/career areas you don't actually need degrees. You would need to go to college to do some kind of course (e.g. a level 3 course or a-levels or something similar). But you can do on the job training or start from the bottom (job wise) and work your way up. Apprenticeships are also an equally good way of getting into jobs/training.
Some things (such as learning a trade) can earn you good money. They don't require degrees.
Reply 4
ringi
OP
14
nursing, teaching, lawyers/solicitors etc can all be done ver an apprenticeship. Lawyers/solicitors or accountant does not need a degree or even A levels.
Reply 5
Original post
by ringiThe UK now has a “surfeit” of graduates and students must accept that a university degree is no longer a “passport to social mobility”, a leading vice-chancellor has argued.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.
See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/03/uk-university-degree-no-longer-passport-to-social-mobility-says-kings-vice-chancellor#:~:text=Kapur%20said%20a%20university%20degree,graduates%20from%20around%20the%20world.
Prof Shitij Kapur, the head of King’s College London, said the days when universities could promise that their graduates were certain to get good jobs are over, in an era where nearly half the population enters higher education.
See https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jan/03/uk-university-degree-no-longer-passport-to-social-mobility-says-kings-vice-chancellor#:~:text=Kapur%20said%20a%20university%20degree,graduates%20from%20around%20the%20world.
This message should’ve come out since the days of Blair minimum or before that.
If you’re a realistic individual who isn’t trapped in the TSR/Reddit bubble then you’d know this (at least before you graduate). The only degree that could guarantee social mobility in my opinion is medicine or degrees that have (or at least are supposed to have) a direct pathway upon qualification (talking about Pharmacy, Nursing, Engineering, Accounting apprenticeship, primary and secondary school teaching qualifications etc.) but even then, the pay isn’t necessarily good nor is the job 100% stable these days.
Not that going to university is worthless but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good career or long term residency in a new country (more likely sure, but that’s not a guarantee).
Original post
by Admit-OneStrikes me as a spectacularly late to the party line of thought.
Right? Water is wet.
(This isn't to say I don't think university is a valuable endeavour but I think given this is no longer the case a lot of people are going to uni for the wrong reasons)
(edited 1 month ago)
Original post
by ringiI agree for normal University and the fake Universities (ex polytechnics) but the likes of Kings remained significant for longer.
Ex-polys are not "fake" universities, and no, "prestigious" universities did not enable social mobility either (arguably they actually were weaker tools of social mobility even when university was an instrument of social mobility).
Original post
by ringinursing, teaching, lawyers/solicitors etc can all be done ver an apprenticeship. Lawyers/solicitors or accountant does not need a degree or even A levels.
You do require a degree to be a solicitor, although you can do a degree apprenticeship to quality.
Nursing requires a degree or degree apprenticeship currently although I think they've considered bringing back the old diploma route for nursing...?
That said I think there are a lot of jobs that don't require a degree which ask for one anyway.
Reply 8
20
Original post
by Admit-OneStrikes me as a spectacularly late to the party line of thought.
Reply 9
18
Original post
by ringiI agree for normal University and the fake Universities (ex polytechnics) but the likes of Kings remained significant for longer.
I think your prejudice to institutions who were around over 30 years ago is rather misplaced. I think you will find that the level of education at places like MMU, Liverpool John Moore's and Edge Hill often surpasses that of the traditional universities. It is only the brand image of the Russel Group Universities held in those who select graduates that goes against the non-Russel Group lot. The education received is somewhat irrelevant and always has been. I was amused by the maths grad on The Apprentice last night who couldn't add up.
Reply 10
ringi
OP
14
Maths post GCSE have little to do with adding up numbers.
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