Exam results day: Top 20 university degrees most likely to get you a job

For many, university will be the aim despite warnings from Ucas that it is likely to be “more competitive” as the number of courses available could be reduced.

Students in England, Wales and Scotland have seen exams cancelled for a second year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

A lot of kids will already have a good idea of their results having received provisional grades already.

As is always the case on results day, students will have a big decision to make in terms of where and what they would like to study.

To help make the decision slightly easier, consumer spending experts at money.co.uk were keen to understand how higher education qualifications impact a graduates' long-term employability and earning potential.

By analysing over one million job adverts from 2019 to 2020, the consumer experts have compiled a list of the 20 most sought-after degrees by employers and how demand has increased or decreased following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Engineering tops the list of the most marketable degrees you can have right now, with business, finance and construction among the top 20.

Danny Aldridge, Co-Founder of recruitment website Check-a-Salary commented on the findings.

He said: "The increase in demand for IT and Mathematical related degrees emphasises the importance of the sector to the UK.

"The varying levels of pay depending on degree highlights to school leavers the significance they need to place on their degree choice.

"Studying a STEM subject is likely to lead to higher levels of pay throughout a career."

What are the UK’s 20 most in demand degrees?

1. Engineering: 76,838 job adverts
2. Business: 36,906 job adverts
3. Management: 32,546 job adverts
4. Design: 17,846 job adverts
5. Marketing: 16,872 job adverts
6. Computer Science: 16,442 job adverts
7. Construction: 11,580 job adverts
8. Computer Engineering: 9,674 job adverts
9. Software Engineering: 9,556 job adverts
10. Finance: 7,638 job adverts
11. Care: 7,290 job adverts
12. Accounting: 7,282 job adverts
13. Law: 6,756 job adverts
14. Systems Engineering: 6,032 job adverts
15. Data Science: 5,666 job adverts
16. Computer Systems: 5,304 job adverts
17. Information Systems: 5,142 job adverts
18. Computer Information Systems: 4,870 job adverts
19. Computer Systems Engineering: 4,814 job adverts
20. Chemistry: 3,918 job adverts

Changing demand since before the pandemic

Further research highlights the number of overall jobs listed requiring a degree in 2020 dropped by 34% year-on-year.

Money.co.uk analysed 2019 and 2020 job listings to reveal which degrees increased in demand last year and which saw a decline.

The degrees that have increased in demand the most since 2019

1. Computer Systems Engineering (+3067%)
2. Computer Information Systems (+2636%)
3. Information Systems (+626%)
4. Computer Forensics (+613%)
5. Television Production (+600%)

The degrees that have decreased the most since 2019 

1. Petroleum Engineering (-96.7%)
2. Aerospace Systems (-96.6%)
3. Hospitality Business Management (-96.6%)
4. Motion Graphics (-96.0%)
5. Sports Technology (-95.5%)

Salman Haqqi, personal finance expert at money.co.uk said: "Choosing a degree subject to study at university can be one of the most difficult and important educational decisions anyone can make.

"As tuition fees in England can cost up to £9,250 a year, it’s understandable that many people are keen to know if studying a particular degree is worth their time and money.

"Although the long-term salary implications of undertaking a higher education qualification are important, it’s also key to remember that a degree usually lasts several years, and therefore choosing a subject you enjoy and find interesting should be central to your decision.

"No matter what degree you choose, university is expensive so it’s worth getting your finances in order beforehand and potentially putting some money aside to cover any unexpected living costs."

To find out more, you can find the full study here.