- University education is a significant financial investment, impacting tuition fees and living expenses.
- Languages, Medicine, Economics, Business, and Computer Science are deemed the best value-for-money degrees.
- Graduates in these fields enjoy high starting salaries and diverse career opportunities, especially across Europe.
- While salary is important, pursuing a degree you enjoy is essential for long-term satisfaction.
University is a huge investment. Not only do you sometimes have to pay thousands in tuition fees each year but also support yourself as you live alone for the first time. It makes sense, then, that you might be worried about the course you choose and whether that will give you a top-paying job. But what are the best value for money degrees?
In this article, we’ll discuss value for money in terms of the opportunities that exist for you after graduating. We’ve chosen five of the best value for money degrees that will help you get a top-paying job afterwards. These degrees come from a range of studies, from science to the humanities, and we’ll detail the jobs you can expect to get and how much you might earn.
What Are the Best Value for Money Degrees?
1. Languages
You might not consider languages one of the best value for money degrees, but it is. According to a study of UK graduates who studied French, they achieved an average graduate starting salary of almost €37,000. This puts French into the top 10 best value for money degrees in the UK.
There are almost endless opportunities for language graduates, especially in Europe. As with many humanities and social science subjects, graduates may not move into a job exactly in line with their studies. However, the soft skills you learn on a languages degree will help you in a variety of careers, including:
- Project management
- Analysts
- Embassy worker
- Journalist
Student Review of Languages
Exeter speaks for itself in a lot of senses. A high ranking university with a strong tradition of good academic and sporting results. I had a fantastic time socially, engaging in the many sporting and music opportunities and made many great friends. The coastal location is also ideal for the summer and the facilities and student accommodation are modern.
As a languages student, the French and Spanish departments were second to none throughout my time at university despite my second year being completely online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We had plenty of extra chances to engage and develop our language skills and the lecturers are supportive and extremely knowledgeable across all disciplines covered by the course.
My one criticism of the programme, and the reason I have dropped a star, is the support for the year of study and work abroad (YA). As a compulsory element of the modern languages degree, the support team need to take more initiative in helping students organise work placements, and also have some understanding of the visa processes for EU countries post-Brexit. My cohort was perturbed massively by these kinds of issues and we were left to our own devices to rectify them. I understand that Brexit posed challenges but they very much failed in their role with my year group. I would hope that given the feedback they received from us, steps are being made to improve this.
Exeter is a great university for the all-rounder, those that are serious about their studies but enjoy their social, sporting and other extra-curricular activities. This kind of ethos creates a healthy relationship with higher education.
2. Medicine and Dentistry
Science degrees dominate the lists of the best value degrees, and they produce some of the highest-earning graduates. Students frequently vote medicine and dentistry degrees some of the best value-for-money degrees, and this is because there are healthcare jobs available all across Europe.
The average graduate starting salary for a UK medicine graduate is £33,023, but for graduates in Germany, salaries can reach €60,000 per year. Dentistry graduates can expect to see a starting salary of £38,000 in the UK and around €30,000 or more in Europe. In the Netherlands, the average salary for Dentistry graduates is €61,200 and for Medicine graduates, €50,900.
However, salaries for both medicine and dentistry rise rapidly each year with experience, even more so if you specialise further. So, you could reach an average yearly salary of more than €50,000 just 5 years after graduating.
Because these degrees are highly specialised, it’s unlikely that you will take a job in another sector. So, while high salaries are almost guaranteed, you also have less varied job prospects than other programmes.
Student Review of Medicine and dentistry
Personally, i think the University of Liverpool is a great university overall. As a medical student in her fourth year, the content is well structured and easy to keep up with compared to other universities. With a hybrid approach, you get the benefits of online lectures (doing them in your own time, being able to rewatch and plan your own schedule), whilst still benefitting from the more social and hands on aspects of your in person sessions. In terms of placements as a medical student, you can be placed a little far and you don’t get much say in where you’re placed, so that can be quite challenging once you start 3rd year. Overall, i think the course is well structured and with the added bonus of starting clinical placements in 2nd year rather than 3rd year like most universities, Liverpool produces competent medical students!
3. Economics
By studying economics, you’ll pick up both technical skills related to the stock market, as well as soft skills in communication and project management. All this means you’re in the perfect position to accept a high-paying job after graduation.
Economics graduates in the UK are better off than any other graduates, earning on average £29,000-£35,000 after graduating. In the Netherlands, you could see a starting salary of upwards of €50,000.
Some of the jobs you can expect to gain after your Economics degree include:
- Economist
- Data analyst
- Financial analyst
- Insurance broker
Student Review of Economics
BSEL offers brilliant professional and educational options. The economics course i’m doing offers a large selection of modules, and students can even opt to specialize in a particular area, such as marketing, entrepreneurship, or management in conjunction with finance. In addition, a superb cafe offering a variety of cuisines is one of the many learning places available, including learning matrices and rooms that can be reserved. The Berlin campus is a lot of fun to explore, and there are plenty of drop-and-go cycles.
4. Business
Business is among the most popular degree subjects for both bachelor’s and Master’s students in Europe. With so many business areas to specialise in—including marketing, sales, leadership, and finance—graduates can tailor their studies to their preferred careers early on, resulting in higher-than-average graduate salaries.
For example, managers can earn up to £35,000 out of university, with similar salaries in finance. Average salaries in France are similar for young management professionals, with one graduate employment survey suggesting the average salary is €42,800 per year. Salaries can be even higher on prestigious graduate schemes run by large consulting or financial companies, but these programmes are usually highly competitive.
Given the varied nature of a business management programme, career outcomes are wide-ranging. Some of the jobs you might expect to take as a business graduate from a Bachelor’s degree include:
- Business advisor
- Project management
- Supply chain manager
- Marketing manager
- Data analyst
- Management consultant
Student Review of Business and Management
Teaching at IESEG seems quite different from my experience in India. Here, there’s a strong emphasis on practical learning. We apply the concepts we learn in class to real-world company situations that very same day. There’s also a lot of group work, which brings several benefits. It fosters the exchange of fresh ideas, hones communication skills, and more.
I would recommend IÉSEG.
5. Computer Science
As the world becomes more reliant on technology, computer science graduates are perfectly placed to reap the benefits. This technical study can propel you into a range of careers, all of which come with higher than average graduate salaries.
In the UK, the average starting salary for a computer science graduate is £27,000, while graduates in the Netherlands can expect to earn around €46,000. Because you learn both technical IT skills and important project management skills, there are a range of careers you can consider after your computer science degree. These range from the highly technical to the creative.
For example, you could start a career as a:
- App developer
- Web designer
- Data analyst
- Cyber security analyst
- IT trainer
- Software engineer
Student Review of Computer Science
What stood out to me about HEC was the direction and insight it offered on coding approaches. Prior to joining the program, I attempted self-learning, but I felt disoriented and lacked a starting point.HEC enabled me to grasp the basics of programming and provided support when I encountered obstacles. Without that guidance, I doubt I would have achieved the progress I have made to date.
Conclusion
Rest assured that with all of these degrees, you’ll find a top-earning job in Europe afterwards. However, it’s worth remembering that salary isn’t everything, and studying something you enjoy is paramount.
Want to find out more about what you could do after your degree? Check out our recent article on the best degrees for job prospects! Or, if you’re still not sure what to study at university, read about how to choose the right university course for you.
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