The subject that college students choose can affect their future earnings by more than twice as much as where they study, research has shown.
A team at the London School of Economics and Political Science compared the salaries of young people who attended the top further education colleges in the country with those at the worst performing colleges, seven years after they left.
They found that overall those at the top colleges earned three per cent more than those in the bottom colleges.
But those who studied engineering and manufacturing saw a seven per cent boost in their earnings regardless of which college they attended.
Students on retail and commercial enterprise courses did not see any increase in their earnings.
The study, Where versus What: College Value-Added and Returns to Field of Study in Further Education, was carried out by the LSE’s Centre for Vocational Education Research.
Joint author Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela said: “Our research suggests that what rather than where you study is more relevant for your employment and income outcomes.”
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