UNIVERSITY VS APPRENTICESHIPS
The £0 Decision
Before you accept your university place, see what the same three years could be worth as an apprentice and view live vacancies.
Built on official UK data. Takes 60 seconds.
Used to pull regional graduate salaries and apprentice wages.
Mapped to ONS / LEO 5-year median earnings by broad subject area.
Affects probability of university entry and starting salary tier.
Affects maintenance loan size, and so total debt.
Programmes delivered by Tend.
Pay figures are illustrative estimates, floored by the statutory apprentice rate and anchored to ONS ASHE occupational medians. Not employer-advertised salaries.
Helps us tailor the result. Doesn't affect the maths.
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The £143,000 figure is the illustrative financial advantage at age 21 (debt avoided + earnings while training), not the cost of a degree. Average English graduate debt is £53,000.
Sources: Student Loans Company, GOV.UK, GOV.UK, Department for Education, Office for National Statistics, GOV.UK, NHS Employers, NHS England, Skills for Care, Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Sutton Trust, GOV.UK. Updated August 2026.