Official work force surveys in the UK are now asking respondents about which universities they attended. As a result, it will be possible to show which university graduates dominate lucrative careers like law and banking, and the financial benefits over time of attending particular institutions.
It is part of a move by ministers to make higher education more accountable and reveal key details about what undergraduates get for their money.
The data is collected by the Office for National Statistics as part of the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which questions 110,000 people in 50,000 households at quarterly intervals and is used to show national employment levels.
“The labour force survey gives details of salaries and employment over time, which students can make judgements on,” A government source said. “Over time the LFS information could enable modelling of lifetime earnings by institution and help contribute to our understanding of social mobility.”
