Graduates who studied in Scotland will earn higher salaries than the UK median

Charlie Benson
Content Marketing Executive

Did you study, or are you currently studying, at a university in Scotland? If so, we've got some great news. 

New data shows that, while the median UK salary for 2012/13 graduates is £27,000, graduates from Scottish universities are earning £500 per year more than that. 

Recent findings from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) show the median salary of a 2012/13 graduate from a Scottish university was £27,500 last year. 

The data comes as the result of a survey of over 107,000 people who left university in the UK in 2012/13, including over 23,600 who graduated from universities in Scotland. 

 

UniversityofEdinburghscottishgraduatesearnmorenews

Old College Campus, University of Edinburgh. Credit: Su Hongjia

 

Median earnings for 2012/13 Scotland grads are lower than the £30,000 median salary of London university graduates, as well as the £28,000 median salary earned by those who graduated from universities in the South East and East of England in the same year. 

However, the findings are still particularly impressive for Scotland's graduates, especially considering you don't have to pay tuition fees to go to university in Scotland if you're Scottish. 

 

 

Not only do those graduating from Scotland's universities pull in high salaries, they also have a strong chance of landing a job. 

According to the HESA findings, 80.9% of 2012/13 Scottish graduates were in work. Meanwhile, 7.3% were undertaking further study, with 5.5% in work and further study.

 

 

Scottish Government Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Shirley-Anne Somerville, said:

"I very much welcome these figures, which show the value of a Scottish education and our world-class universities. 

"I want everyone with the talent and ability to have the chance to go to university and get the same opportunity in life, no matter their background. 

"Our efforts to widen access to university are undoubtedly going in the right direct and I look forward to seeing further progress."