Field of study and the subjective labour market outcomes of UK graduates
Examining meaningful work, career progression, and skills utilisation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14689704 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sarah Brophy (0000-0001-9940-4192, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, corresponding author), Frances Christie (0000-0003-1384-3683, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School), Tracy Scurry (0000-0003-1055-7702, Newcastle University Business School) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 974-987 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03075079.2025.2492799 |
| OpenAlex | W4409631799 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 36 |
Field choice in higher education has been shown to be highly influential on earnings and employment, yet little is known about how field of study affects recent graduates’ subjective labour market outcomes. This article uses ‘Graduate Voice’ data from the 2018/19 UK Graduate Outcomes survey to examine the effect of field choice on three subjective measures: whether work is meaningful, career is on track, and using graduate skills. Employing a selection on observables approach with logit regressions and robustness checks using Nearest Neighbour Matching, we reveal significant differences across fields of study. While graduates across all fields report positive outcomes, certain vocational fields – particularly medicine and dentistry, allied health fields, veterinary science, and education – show exceptionally strong results. These patterns generally hold across sex, ethnicity, and social class, with interaction effects showing little significant effects. These findings support previous research linking vocational education to smoother labour market entry for young people. The positive subjective outcomes across all fields challenge assertions about ‘low value’ degrees in the UK, suggesting the need to consider both objective and subjective measures in field of study decisions and policy discussions on returns to higher education
Career development · Economic growth · Economics · Employability · Higher education · Labour economics · Pedagogy · Sociology · Employment and Welfare Studies · Engineering · Higher Education and Employability · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Psychology
The Value of Postsecondary Credentials in the Labor Market
Social Cognitive Career Theory and Subjective Well-Being in the Context of Work
Determinants of College Major Choice
Heterogeneity in Human Capital Investments
Person–Environment Fit
The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development
The Growing Importance of Social Skills in the Labor Market
General Education, Vocational Education, and Labor-Market Outcomes over the Lifecycle
Predictors of Objective and Subjective Career Success
Sustainable careers
Contemporary career orientations and career self-management
A whole-life perspective of sustainable careers
Returns to Education
Investment in Human Capital
The Distribution of Job Satisfaction among Young European Graduates
Job Market Signaling
Priceless
Position, possession or process? Understanding objective and subjective employability during university-to-work transitions
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |