Top A-level grades are worth £15,000 a year
Those who clinched 360 points in their exams – equivalent to three top grades – earned £44,200 on average five years after graduating university, according to data from the 2022-23 tax year.
Pupils who got fewer than 180 points (or three Ds) earned £29,200, meaning the high achieving students were paid 50pc more.
In cash terms, this intellectual premium has never been higher, according to the latest outcomes data from the Department for Education.
It comes as a record 28.3pc of all A-levels were marked A or A* in the 2025 exam session.
Students who failed to achieve more than three Ds found themselves barely earning more than the £26,000 median income for non-graduates in their twenties at the time.
Those who completed a BTEC qualification instead of A-levels, typically costing between £2,000 and £8,000 for a two-year course, were found to be earning an average of £27,000 when assessed at the same point.
With university entrants this autumn forced to stomach yet another tuition fee rise, with the cap rising 3.1pc to £9,535 a year, non-academic avenues may yield a better financial payoff.
While the academically gifted may simply tend to target subjects or careers with higher earnings potential, and may rise through their employers' ranks faster, the real difference is most likely the universities to which their impressive scorecards give them access.
The graduate earnings spread between institutions offering the same subject can be enormous – averaging just under £30,000 across all 35 broad subject areas.
Nowhere is the difference between the best- and worst-paid alumni greater than for business and management students.
University of Oxford graduates in the field were found to be on the cusp of six-figures after just five years, earning £93,800. Their counterparts from Wrexham University (called Glyndŵr University at the time), meanwhile, were making £23,700 – just under four times less.
While the academic requirements to the former's economics and management degree are a stiff A*AA (including a top grade in maths), you can be considered for the Welsh establishment's business and management course with three Cs.
The same data shows those having achieved 360 points in their A-levels are far more likely to go after masters degrees or PhDs.
Of the smartest in the class, 16pc were still studying five years after graduation, compared to 9pc for those who took home fewer than 180 points.
Low-scoring graduates were also more often out of work or education, at 6.4pc compared to 4.3pc for high achievers.
Tom Allingham, from money advice website Save the Student, said: 'This confirms what I'm sure many people already believed – that those who achieve higher grades will likely go on to earn higher salaries.
'That said, there is more to this than initially meets the eye. While those who achieved three or four A/A* grades have a notable earnings premium over their peers, the difference between all other groups is fairly small – albeit still with a positive correlation.
'In other words, when it comes to your future salary, the difference between, for example, a B and a C at A-levels may not be all that significant.'
Rose Stephenson, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute, said: 'The gap in earnings between graduates with high and low A-level results has never been greater – it is now the widest gap on record.
'While university is a great investment for many, these figures are a stark reminder that effort at school and college continues to pay dividends long after leaving the classroom.
'The imperative remains to tackle entrenched inequalities described by the Secretary of State for Education today. It should be your intellect alone that determines your grade results, not your background or wealth.
'These figures show the stark impact achieving lower grades can have on earning potential, and the cycle of disadvantage that can be perpetuated as a result.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
Pensions commission must resist being warned off triple lock
T owards the end of last month, the government launched a new pensions commission. The last one, which reported nearly 20 years ago, carried out one of the most effective and impactful of all independent reviews done for governments. It led directly to automatic enrolment into pensions, consensus on the need to increase pension ages and increases in the level of the state pension. It is not surprising that this new body is badged as a 'revival' of the original commission. Its remit is to look at ways of raising income levels for future generations of pensioners, particularly those at risk of poverty and with low lifetime incomes, while taking account of the sustainability of the system. Excellent. While, on the surface, things seem to be going pretty well, there are some serious challenges coming down the road.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Rugby league told £16m government funding will be stopped unless questions answered
The Rugby Football League has been told it will not receive the next instalment of government funding due next month unless it addresses concerns in Westminster about the sport's governance. Officials from Sport England are due to meet the RFL leadership team of the interim chair, Nigel Wood, and chief executive, Tony Sutton, this week to address the issue, with the next payment of a £16m government funding package at risk. The Guardian has learned that during preliminary discussions to arrange the meeting, the RFL was informed it will not receive next month's payment without providing satisfactory answers regarding recent changes to its board to Sport England, which will be represented by its chair, Chris Boardman, and interim chief executive, Phil Smith. Sport England is understood to believe that the RFL's decision to install Wood as interim chair may have breached the Code for Sports Governance, as it does not appear to have followed an 'open and transparent' recruitment process. Complying with the code, which sets out minimum standards regarding transparency, diversity and inclusion, accountability and integrity, is a prerequisite for governing bodies seeking government and National Lottery funding. An RFL spokesperson told the Guardian: 'The RFL is working with Sport England on a Governance Action Plan, following resignations from the Board earlier in 2025, which required transitional arrangements. 'We appreciate the need for Sport England to reassure themselves that our response will remain fully compliant with the Code for Sports Governance – the new RFL Board are totally committed to this. 'The outstanding work that is delivered by the sport in hard-to-reach communities, made possible partly by Sport England funding, continues unaffected.' Government money is critical to rugby league, the finances of which have been stretched in recent years by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the collapse in the value of its main broadcast deal with Sky Sports, which is paying the Super League clubs around half what it was five years ago to televise their matches. Without Sport England funding many other clubs would find themselves in a similar position to Salford Red Devils, who are fighting for their future after a disastrous takeover that has left them with only two senior players due to the repeated late payment of wages and several Super League fixtures being cancelled. The RFL receives £16m over five years from government in a deal managed by Sport England, with the money used to fund the elite end of the sport as represented by England's international teams and the development of the grassroots and recreational game. Sport England's concerns revolve around the processes involved in the return of Wood following the resignation of the former RFL chair Simon Johnson and three other directors this year. Wood was previously chief executive of the RFL for 11 years and received a £300,000 severance package following his departure in 2018, which accounted for almost one-sixth of the governing body's losses at the time. The Code for Sports Governance states the chairs of governing bodies must be independent, but Wood was chair of the Championship club Bradford Bulls before being appointed. While he has relinquished that role at Bradford he remains on the club's board. Wood initially returned to the RFL in March as senior independent director before taking the title of interim chair, which was made permanent last month. He has also been appointed chair of Rugby League Commercial, the body that manages the sport's broadcasting and sponsorship sales. In addition to Wood's links to Bradford, Sport England is expected to ask questions about the processes involved in his appointment, and whether any other potential candidates were interviewed. In March RFL sources insisted it would not be a long-term arrangement. Since returning to the RFL Wood has been instrumental in driving through an expansion of Super League from 12 to 14 clubs for next season, although Hull FC, Hull KR and Wigan Warriors failed to endorse the plan when it was voted through by the other nine clubs last month. In another twist Bradford are one of the clubs pushing to be promoted from the Championship to the expanded Super League, which has raised eyebrows given Wood's previous role. As the Guardian revealed last month, Sky Sports has also yet to endorse the expansion and has made it clear it will not provide additional funding for the extra clubs to cover the final season of its three-year TV deal, which expires at the end of next season. In addition, it is unclear who will cover the approximate £500,000 cost of televising an extra game across 27 rounds next season. Some Championship clubs vying for promotion as part of expansion plans have indicated they are willing to enter Super League without central funding next season, which has raised further concerns about its competitiveness in the light of the Salford debacle. Salford were thrashed 80-6 by Hull FC last week before Sunday's fixture against Wakefield was cancelled due to concerns over the safety of the younger players and triallists they were planning to field. Salford's owner, Dario Berta, has said the club will not go bust. They are due in court next month over an unpaid tax bill of almost £700,000.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Kellogg's brings new cereal to the UK that shoppers say is just like discontinued favourite
KELLOGG's has brought a new cereal to the UK that shoppers have said is just like a discontinued favourite. Shoppers have spotted packs of Kellogg's Smacks on shelves at Morrisons for £2.50. 1 The sweetened puff wheat cereal is already popular in the US but it's now made it across the pond. It's described as a classic crunchy breakfast cereal with a honey-sweet taste. But shoppers have also pointed out that it looks very similar to a popular discontinued cereal. A picture of the new cereal was shared on the Facebook group Snack Reviews and hundreds of people were commenting on it. Lots of commenters said how similar the new product looked to Sugar Puffs, which were discontinued in 2014. "Basically sugar puffs then lol," one person said. Another wrote: "Definitely sugar puffs!!" A third added: "They'll always be sugar puffs to me. They're puffed wheat and sugar." Sugar Puffs, which were made by Quaker Oats, were rebranded as Honey Monster Puffs with a new reformulated recipe. The new recipe had less sugar and more honey than the original Sugar Puffs. Rice Krispies brings back 'most requested' flavor for first time in 20 years – but fans will notice a big switch It came as the Government aimed to crack down on sugar content in foods marketed at children. Sugar Puffs had been around for 60 years before they were rebranded. Discontinued items that have made a comeback Brands have started a trend of bringing back popular discontinued items recently. One that got shoppers buzzing was the comeback of White Malteasers, which had been off shelves for 11 years. Customers can now buy a 30g pack for £1.05, 74g pack for £2.50 or a larger 126g sharing bag for £2.95. Meanwhile snack fans have spotted another chocolatey treat on supermarket shelves that's similar to a discontinued Cadbury product. The new Cadbury Dairy Milk Balls are said to resemble Cadbury Tasters, which first launched in 1996. Plus, the nostalgic alcopop Bacardi Breezer has also made a return to stores after being axed in 2015. The fruity alcopops were once a rite of passage for teenagers having their first alcoholic drinks or going clubbing for the first time. Why are products axed or recipes changed? ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders. Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether. They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers. There are several reasons why this could be done. For example, government regulation, like the "sugar tax," forces firms to change their recipes. Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs. They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable. For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018. It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version. Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year. Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks. While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.
