Best Schools - Family background, subject choice and university have a significant impact on English students' earn

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Family background, subject choice and university have a significant impact on English students' earnings five years after graduation, new data shows.

Figures compiled by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) show economics and medicine students earn about 60% more than history and English graduates.

Those from the highest social groups have an 8% premium on earnings, while every A at A-level adds about 3%.

The data controls for socio-economic background and prior attainment.

The IFS examined the school and university exam records of graduates from England attending UK universities, alongside their tax returns.

It found that, typically, graduates of physics and maths had higher earnings than those who studied subjects such as psychology and sociology.

Those who studied creative arts, social care and media earned the least, about £20,000 five years after graduation.

The report says that while some of the differences in earnings can be explained by differences in prior attainment and background characteristics of students, significant gaps still emerge.

The UK’s leading organisations for boarding schools and guardianship for international students have announced a partnership to promote higher standards.

The Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and the Association for the Education and Guardianship for International Students (AEGIS) are to work together formally to ensure greater awareness of good practice in guardianship within schools, and accreditation of organisations providing guardianship services.

Under the partnership, AEGIS and BSA will remain separate organisations. But AEGIS Chair Dr Helen Wright will attend board meetings of BSA, BSA CEO Robin Fletcher will attend meetings of AEGIS trustees, and AEGIS Executive Officer Yasemin Wigglesworth will join BSA’s Senior Leadership Team.

In a joint statement, Dr Helen Wright and BSA Chair Martin Reader said: “AEGIS and BSA are very excited by this ground-breaking partnership. BSA is the world’s leading boarding organisation, while AEGIS is the leader in the field of guardianship for international students. Working in partnership means AEGIS and BSA and ensure standards of guardianship are consistently high and improving.”