UK Graduates in Healthcare Report Highest Satisfaction with Degree Choices

Published: 13 September 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

A new set of figures has revealed that students who pursued healthcare-related degrees are among the most satisfied graduates in the United Kingdom, while those who studied journalism, marketing, and media-related courses are significantly more likely to regret their academic choices. The data, obtained by The Guardian as part of this year’s Guardian University Guide, sheds light on how recent graduates view the decisions they made as teenagers when selecting their degree pathways.

The findings suggest a striking divide between graduates of vocational healthcare subjects and those who studied in fields with less certain employment prospects. Dentists, vets, paramedics, physiotherapists, medics, midwives, and children’s nurses emerged as the most content with their educational routes. A large proportion of these graduates indicated that, if given the opportunity to make the decision again, they would still opt for the same courses. Alongside healthcare, vocational fields such as architecture, computer science, and construction were also rated highly by graduates who expressed minimal regrets about their degree choices.

In contrast, those who pursued media, film studies, journalism, marketing, public relations, and certain branches of science such as biomedical studies were more inclined to express dissatisfaction. Experts argue that this is largely a reflection of the job market. Industries tied to media and creative sectors are notoriously competitive, often associated with limited entry-level opportunities, lower salaries, and slower career progression compared with healthcare and technical professions.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), which provided the underlying data, the survey tracked graduates around 15 months after completing their studies. Participants were asked whether they would make the same choice of degree subject if they could revisit their university decision-making process. The findings indicated that seven of the top ten most satisfying degree courses were in healthcare—a result that highlights both the vocational nature of these professions and the relative stability of employment opportunities in the sector.

Charlie Ball, a graduate labour market specialist at Jisc, explained that students entering healthcare programs often do so with strong personal commitment and a clear sense of vocational purpose. “You’ve got to really want to do these subjects to do them,” Ball observed. He added that such qualifications frequently allow graduates to return to their communities to take up well-paid and stable positions, rather than being forced to compete for limited roles in crowded metropolitan job markets.

By contrast, Ball noted that the fields with the highest levels of regret tended to involve industries where employment is uncertain and competition fierce. Journalism, film, and marketing, while attractive to many students, are often marked by bottlenecks in career progression and financial insecurity, discouraging graduates who struggle to establish themselves in their chosen sectors.

The release of the Guardian University Guide also provided fresh insights into institutional performance across the UK. The University of Oxford, the University of St Andrews, and the University of Cambridge once again secured the top three positions in the rankings, with the London School of Economics following in fourth place. Durham University rose into the top five, displacing Imperial College London, which moved down to sixth.

However, graduate satisfaction with universities does not always align neatly with institutional rankings. For example, the University of Sheffield ranked second in terms of the proportion of students who would choose the same university again, despite being placed 16th overall. Liverpool John Moores University and Newcastle University also scored highly on student satisfaction, even though they ranked significantly lower in the overall league table. This suggests that while elite universities continue to dominate the national rankings, student experience and career outcomes play an equally vital role in shaping graduate perspectives.

Dame Wendy Hall, regius professor of computer science at the University of Southampton and a government adviser on artificial intelligence, also weighed in on the findings. Responding to growing concerns that AI could undermine the graduate job market, Hall argued that fears were often exaggerated. She noted that while AI will reshape industries, it is unlikely to replace human workers wholesale in the short term. Instead, it is expected to create new opportunities, particularly in science and engineering. “If you stop recruiting graduates, you’re going to have a big gap down the line. It’s very shortsighted,” she cautioned.

She also suggested that students should not attempt to “second-guess” which jobs may disappear in the coming years. Instead, they should pursue vocationally grounded degrees or apprenticeships that equip them with practical skills adaptable to evolving markets.

The HESA data ultimately paints a relatively positive picture of higher education in the UK. More than 80% of graduates expressed satisfaction with their decision to attend university and with the degree subject they had chosen, even several years after completing their studies. According to Matt Hiely-Rayner, compiler of the Guardian University Guide, there is a clear correlation between departments that perform well in career prospects and the contentment of their graduates. “Graduates who have not yet taken a positive career step are less inclined to reflect positively upon their decision to enter higher education,” he explained.

For policymakers, universities, and prospective students alike, these findings highlight the importance of aligning education with both personal passion and realistic career opportunities. While the prestige of institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge continues to dominate the public imagination, the real measure of success lies in whether graduates feel fulfilled and supported in the early years of their professional lives.