Choosing a university degree has always been a major life decision, but with tuition fees set to rise and living costs outpacing inflation, the financial return on your education is now more important than ever.
While passion and personal interests remain important, understanding the earning potential of your degree is a crucial first step in planning not just your UCAS application, but also your long-term future — especially when factoring in student loans and rising living costs.
In this guide, we break down the top 10 highest paying degrees in the UK, highlighting which fields deliver the strongest financial returns in different stages after graduation so you can make a more well-informed choice.
Why Graduate Earnings Matter More Than Ever?
UK university tuition fees, currently capped at £9,535 per year for home students (and far higher for international students), are set to rise annually with inflation from 2026. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed the increase and announced plans for legislation to make yearly fee adjustments automatic.
This will mark the most significant tuition fee inflation since 2017, when the cap was frozen at £9,250 for several years, only increasing slightly to £9,535 for the 2025–26 academic year. With these upcoming changes, now is the time to consider the return on investment (ROI) of your chosen degree — as higher tuition fees mean greater debt for many students.
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How We Compiled Our Ranking
To create an accurate and balanced ranking, we drew on three of the most reputable sources of UK graduate earnings data available. These include:
- Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) – Tracks graduates’ actual earnings through tax records five years after finishing their degree, giving a long-term view of salary progression.
- HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey (2022/23) – Reports median salaries 15 months after graduation, providing insight into early career earnings across subject areas.
- Department for Education (DfE) Graduate Labour Market Statistics (2024) – Shows graduate salary trends across industries and age groups, highlighting how different fields perform over time.
Note that salary averages can vary significantly depending on factors such as location, experience, and job role. Graduates working in London and the South East, for example, typically earn higher salaries due to cost of living and industry concentration.
With that in mind, let’s look at which degrees deliver the strongest earning potential in the UK based on the latest available data.
Top 10 Highest Paying Degrees in the UK
The following list presents degree subjects offering the highest average graduate salaries within 15 months of course completion, as well as median earnings five years post-graduation. Health professions dominate the top three, with dentistry delivering the strongest earning potential within 15 months of graduation.
It is worth noting that according to government data, the median nominal salary for working-age graduates (aged 16–64) in 2024 was £42,000, equivalent to £26,500 in real terms when adjusted for inflation. Our ranking shows insights relevant to graduates from 2022-23 as per the latest available data.
10. Social Sciences
Entry Median Salary: £30,000 | 5-Year Median Salary: £38,000
While entry-level salaries are moderate, careers in policy, research, and consulting offer stability and meaningful professional impact.
9. Business and Management
Entry Median Salary: £27,998 | 5-Year Median Salary: £40,000
A versatile degree with steady growth potential. Leadership, strategy, and senior management roles tend to drive higher compensation.
8. Architecture
Entry Median Salary: £28,436 | 5-Year Median Salary: £42,000
Architecture is another degree with strong salary potential. Earnings for architects can increase with experience and professional accreditation; senior architects can command significantly higher salaries.
7. Economics
Entry Median Salary: £36,000 | 5-Year Median Salary: £46,500
Economics salaries can vary, with mid-career growth driven by sector choice, performance bonuses, and roles in investment banking or consulting.
Note that while mathematics and economics graduates tend to earn higher starting salaries, technology-focused degrees like software engineering and computer science quickly overtake them in earning potential within five years — reflecting the accelerating demand for digital skills and the rapid career progression available in the tech sector.
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6. Mathematics
Entry Median Salary: £31,450 | 5-Year Median Salary: £50,000
Analytical skills open doors across finance, data science, and engineering. Career versatility allows access to some of the highest-paying roles.
5. Computer Science
Entry Median Salary: £30,998 | 5-Year Median Salary: £52,000
While the starting salary is slightly lower than software engineering, computer science graduates can thrive in AI, cybersecurity, and software development roles with excellent long-term growth and significantly higher salary potential.
4. Software Engineering
Entry Median Salary: £30,998 | 5-Year Median Salary: £55,500
Although starting salaries are lower than those in healthcare, the fast-paced growth of the tech industry allows software engineers to climb the pay scale quickly — often surpassing veterinary professionals in median earnings within just five years.
3. Veterinary Sciences
Entry Median Salary: £33,750 | 5-Year Median Salary: £50,000
Although veterinary professionals remain consistently in demand, newly qualified vets typically earn less than their counterparts in human medicine. Starting salaries can vary depending on the employer, with larger corporate practices generally offering higher pay than smaller private clinics.
2. Medicine
Entry Median Salary: £37,924 | 5-Year Median Salary: £60,000
Doctors enjoy high starting salaries within the NHS, with rapid progression opportunities for those who specialise. Newly qualified doctors undertaking foundation training earn a basic salary between £38,831 and £44,439. For those beginning specialist training in 2025, salaries range from £52,656 to £73,992, depending on experience and training level.
1. Dentistry
Entry Median Salary: £39,776 | 5-Year Median Salary: £65,000
Dentists start with strong salaries thanks to professional regulation, and private practice or specialist roles can significantly boost earnings over time.
In the NHS, newly qualified dentists begin their foundation training with a salary of £40,776, as set by the Primary Dental Services Statement of Financial Entitlements Directions and reviewed annually by the Department of Health and Social Care. Dental specialty trainees earn a basic salary ranging from £65,048 to £73,992, depending on experience and training level.
What These Degrees Have in Common
These degrees share some key characteristics that drive strong earnings and career potential:
STEM and Professional Focus
Most degrees in the list — such as Software Engineering, Computer Science, Medicine, Dentistry, and Mathematics — are rooted in STEM or highly regulated professional fields. These areas are in high demand across the UK and globally, leading to strong entry salaries and rapid career progression.
Skill Specialisation
Degrees with clearly defined technical or professional skill sets tend to offer higher pay. For example, veterinary sciences, finance, and architecture provide graduates with specialised expertise that employers value, which translates into higher earning potential.
Career Flexibility and Sector Opportunities
Many of these degrees open doors to multiple industries. For example, mathematics and finance graduates can enter roles in banking, actuarial science, data science, or quantitative trading, while computing graduates can pivot into AI, cybersecurity, or software development. This versatility allows graduates to pursue sectors with better growth and compensation.
Professional Regulation and Qualifications
Strong Mid-Career Growth
While some degrees have moderate entry salaries, fields like Software Engineering, Computer Science, and Finance show rapid salary growth within five years, reflecting skill demand, promotions, and sector expansion.
Conclusion
Although choosing the right degree should always start with your interests and passions, it’s equally important to balance them with long-term prospects. Understanding the earning potential of your chosen subject can have a lasting impact — shaping not only your academic path but also your financial future.
Across the UK’s highest-paying degrees, STEM and professionally regulated fields dominate, offering not just strong starting salaries but also significant long-term growth. We strongly recommend considering both initial earnings and mid-career progression, as fields like Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Science provide stable, steadily increasing salaries. Meanwhile, tech-focused degrees such as Software Engineering, Computer Science, and AI offer rapid early-career growth, but salaries can fluctuate depending on industry advancements and evolving skill demands, making continuous learning and adaptability essential for long-term success.
At UniAdmissions, we’ve helped hundreds of ambitious students secure places on competitive courses at Oxbridge and other G5 universities — including Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Architecture, Human Sciences, and more. Our expert guidance and comprehensive resources give you the tools to stand out and gain entry into the UK’s most prestigious degree programmes.
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FAQs
1.Which degree has the highest starting salary in the UK?
According to the latest data, Dentistry offers the highest average starting salary for graduates within 15 months of finishing university, followed closely by Medicine.
2. Do Oxbridge graduates earn more than those from other universities?
3. Are STEM degrees always the highest paying?
STEM degrees dominate the top-earning fields because of high demand for technical and analytical skills. However, some non-STEM fields, such as Economics, can rival STEM salaries in mid to late careers.
4. How accurate are these salary figures?
The rankings are based on data from official government sources — the LEO dataset, HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey, and the Department for Education’s Graduate Labour Market Statistics. Salaries can vary depending on role, location, and experience.
5. How can UniAdmissions help me get into a high-paying degree course?
UniAdmissions offers tailored application support, including admissions test preparation, personal statement guidance, interview coaching, and subject-specific tutoring — all designed to help you gain entry into competitive degree programmes at top universities. We have a success rate of 59%, which is three times the national average of 16% – with us you are in safe hands knowing we can triple your chances of success.
