The average student in England leaves university with £47,700 debt - is a degree worth it?

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Average student in England leaves university with £47,700 debt - is a degree worth it? 1 hour ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleHazel ShearingEducation correspondentGetty ImagesGraduates in England leave university with more than £47,500 in student debt, according to new statistics. Figures from the 2025-26 financial year suggest that the amount borrowers owe when they first become eligible to repay has, on average, fallen compared to the year before.

But what happens years down the line? Can graduates still expect to earn sufficiently more than those without a degree to cover the cost of going in the first place? How much are tuition fees in England and Wales and why have they gone up?

The Details

Last August, the annual cost of an undergraduate degree in England and Wales went up to £9,535 a year. It is set to rise again to £9,790 in August 2026. The increases came after universities expressed growing concerns about funding pressures in recent years, pointing out that tuition fees had been frozen at £9,250 since 2017.

They argued that inflation meant those fees were worth less in real terms and there had been fewer international students to help make up the financial shortfall. In October 2025, the government said that university tuition fees in England would go up every year in line with inflation from 2026. They are expected to increase every year by an inflation measure called the Retail Price Index minus mortgage payment interest, or RPIx.

How much are university fees in Northern Ireland and Scotland? UK nations set their own fees. In Northern Ireland, the maximum annual cost of an undergraduate degree is £4,855 for Northern Irish students or £9,535 for other UK students.

What Experts Say

That will rise to £4,985 and £9,790 respectively in 2026-27. In Scotland, undergraduate tuition is free for the majority of Scottish students and £9,535 for other UK students - rising to £9,790 in 2026-27. How do student loans work?

Student loans are made up of two components: a loan for tuition feesa maintenance loan for living costsMost people are entitled to the tuition fee element, which is equal to the annual cost of their course. Maintenance loans are means-tested, so how much you can borrow depends on your family's income, and may not cover your actual bills. The maximum maintenance loan for students in England is also set to increase by inflation every year from 2026.

For example, the maximum maintenance loan for students from England who live away from their parents outside London will increase to £10,830 for 2026-27, up from £10,544 the year before. You are charged interest on your total loan from the day you take it out, but do not have to start paying it back until your annual income reaches a certain level. You make a regular payment which covers both your tuition fees and maintenance loans.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.