Governance News Alert: University of Bristol/Advance HE/Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) The Benefits of Hindsight: Reconsidering higher education choices

The study involved two surveys conducted in 2024 - one of more than 2,000 undergraduates and the other of more than 2,000 graduates from universities across the UK. Focus groups and interviews were also undertaken. Participants were asked whether, in hindsight, they would have made different decisions about what and where to study. The results were analysed by student characteristics, including participation measures, ethnicity, disability and school type, as well as by year of study, discipline, and institutional location.

The full report can be found at: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/04/02/new-report-reveals-what-students-think-about-their-higher-education-choices/

At-a-glance:

• Only 2 to 3 per cent of respondents thought higher education was not the right path for them, although positive feelings about what and where they chose to study were found to be less prevalent among graduates than undergraduates 
   
• Some 65 per cent of undergraduate respondents were happy with their choice of what and where to study. However, around a third  said they would do things differently on reflection: 10 per cent said they would have studied the same course at a different university, 6 per cent would study a different course at the same institution, and 6 per cent would study a different course at a different institution. The remainder would do an apprenticeship, defer for a year, get a job without going to university, or do something else.
   
• Among graduates, aged between 25-30, fewer than half (48 per cent) were happy with their decisions. Of those that were unhappy, 15 per cent would do a different course at the same institution, 12 per cent would do a different course at a different institution, 11 per cent would go to a different institution to do the same course, 8 per cent would do an apprenticeship, and the remainder would get a job and not go to university, defer for a year, or do something else 
   
• The most common reason undergraduates gave for wanting to do things differently was that they would have been happier, or fitted in better, elsewhere or on another course. Those who would have done things differently wished they had done more research 
   
• For graduates who would do things differently, the most common reason was that it would lead to more career options. Around 40 per cent of graduates doubting their decisions expressed the need for different or better careers’ advice
   
• Students from lower participation areas were more likely to report that a different decision would have made a lot of difference to them (47 per cent of POLAR quintile 1 compared to 36 per cent of quintile 5) 
   
• Students with a disability were consistently less happy with their decisions than those without disabilities and indicated a greater wish to have transferred
   
• The findings suggest that work-related learning and the embedding of employability in the curriculum should be scaled up in universities, linked to greater flexibility in module choice 
   
• Universities should make information and guidance available and accessible to students to support transfer arrangements, between or within courses, supported by careers advice 

Implications for governance:

The study shows that the overwhelming majority of students and graduates questioned in the surveys think higher education was the right path for them. It also reveals that a large majority of students are happy with their choice of what to study, and where.

While much of the data is reassuring, particularly at a time when the value of certain degrees is increasingly being questioned, there are areas that will be of concern to governors and senior managers.

Among graduates, fewer than half were happy with their decisions. The most common cited reason was that different choices may have led to better career options. A substantial proportion of graduates doubting their decisions wanted different or better careers’ advice.

Research shows that sixth formers make decisions about university based primarily on information and advice from parents, their own research and schools. To augment this advice, the Advance HE/HEPI report suggests that universities need to provide more support and advice at an earlier stage. 

It recommends greater coordination between careers advisers in schools and the higher education sector, with information and good practice being shared between the two. In particular, higher education alumni networks could be usefully leveraged for this purpose. 

According to co-author Richard Watermeyer, young people need a greater awareness of future job opportunities associated with courses, and a more vocational mindset. 

The report also suggest that sixth formers should be encouraged to consider “deferring decisions to allow for more mature and considered choices and work experience”.

Graduates interviewed in the study wanted to see employability embedded into undergraduate courses, more widespread opportunities for work placements and internships and better careers advice at university. These are not new demands, so governors and university leaders may wish to consider why it appears they are apparently still not being met.

Testimony in the report paints a picture of recent graduates floundering in the job market, and suggests a need for great flexibility in the university curriculum and study pathways.

One STEM student said: ‘I felt that the way that the courses were structured was solely for academia. When I realised that I didn't want to go down that path or I didn't feel there were many career opportunities down that line, what could I do with this degree? It didn't really transfer to other subjects or onto other industry-led jobs, which require very specific skills which I didn't have.ʼ

Another student, who graduated with a first class degree, highlighted the importance of incorporating employability elements into all programmes, commenting: “I did the best I physically could in this course. I can't have a nicer looking little degree on my resumé and yet nothing comes of it. Nothing comes of it. And there was very little help getting something to come from it.”

Many universities have focused more closely on employability in recent years and the advent of the B3 conditions on student outcomes have focused minds further. However, the Advance HE/HEPI study indicates there is more to do and provides a timely opportunity for boards to consider their own institutions undergraduate and graduate careers support. 

Based on the substantial minority of students who would do things differently with hindsight, the study suggests that it should be easier for undergraduates who are unhappy with their choices to switch, and that UCAS could play a role in co-ordinating transfers.

Co-author Professor Nicola Dandridge said that given the lasting consequences of student choices, and the considerable financial implications, students should be aware of the options for transfer and that “the system should accommodate and support that greater flexibility.”

As part of the policy development of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, the proposed accredited end of year qualification might be an important element in making it easier for students to act on a change of heart.

Jonathan Neves, Advance HE Head of Business Intelligence and Surveys and co-author of the annual Student Academic Experience Survey (SAES), which was the catalyst for the new report, said: ”I'm delighted to see this important research further building on one of the key questions in SAES. While significant proportions are happy with their choice, these new insights provide compelling evidence that enhancing information, guidance and support for students both before and during their university journey could significantly improve outcomes. 

“What's particularly valuable is seeing how perspectives evolve from undergraduate study into early careers, reinforcing the need for a more holistic approach to higher education decision-making for the benefit of all.”