So much for Mickey Mouse degrees! How students graduating from polytechnics in courses you’ve never heard of earn higher salaries than their peers

• Study finds polytechnic students are out-earning peers within five years 
• Students of e-sports production at Nottingham Trent earn £31,500
• Neuroscience graduates of Nottingham University bring home only £30,500

Students graduating with ‘mickey mouse’ degrees from polytechnics are earning higher salaries than their peers, research has found.

Courses such as games art and e-sports production can lead to better-paid jobs within five years of graduating than courses at some Russell Group universities.

According to data analysis by Discover Uni, students at Aberystwyth University studying a Bachelor of Arts in computer graphics, vision and games take home an average salary of £34,000 five years later.

While those studying a Bachelor of Sciences in games design from Bournemouth University earn an average salary of £32,000.

At the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, which is run through Nottingham Trent University, graduates of e-sports production earn an average of £31,500 five years later.

Courses such as games art and e-sports production can lead to better-paid jobs within five years of graduating than courses at some Russell Group universities.

A Bachelor of Sciences in games design from Bournemouth University earn an average salary of £32,000 within five years

But graduates of neuroscience from Nottingham University will earn an average of £30,500, while a law student from Liverpool will take home £29,000.

Craig Chettle, founder of the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘I’ve got no problem with people going to the Russell Group because it’s a great thing to do, but it’s not the only route.’

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, added: ‘It’s not only parents but also teachers and ministers who need to end their obsession with the Russell Group.

‘The Russell Group is a self-selecting lobbying club of largely older universities. They are all wonderful in many respects, but there are only 24 Russell Group members, so it’s a nonsense to think they offer the best opportunities for everyone interested in going to university. The other 100 plus universities all have their specialisms too.’

A Russell Group spokesman said: ‘Russell Group universities deliver strong outcomes for students of all backgrounds.

‘The latest figures show graduates from our universities are more likely to complete their courses, progress to skilled employment and earn more than average, with 84 per cent of working graduates in highly-skilled employment after 15 months of graduating in 2020/21.’

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