Why staying away at university still matters

By Simon Jones, Group HE Director, Unite Group 

For many young people, the decision to go to university – and whether to move away from home to do it – has never felt more fraught. 

Headlines question whether degrees are worth the debt, warn that AI will upend graduate careers, and point to the rising number of students commuting to campus to cut costs – all of which has intensified the debate.  

While some of the pressures are real, a lot of what gets written about university doesn’t stack up when you look at the evidence. As ever, the reality is more nuanced than the headlines suggest. 

Here’s what the data shows. 

Degrees still pay  

Despite frequent commentary suggesting the value of a degree is declining, studies consistently reveal that graduates continue to earn more over their working lives than non‑graduates. 

The latest UK government statistics show median graduate earnings are more than 30% higher than those of non‑graduates [1][2]. For younger graduates, the gap is narrower, but by age 31, the premium has widened significantly, with graduate earnings growing more than twice as much [3]. 

Crucially, the merit of higher education has never just been about the starting salary. Long‑term earnings, access to professional and managerial roles, and career flexibility all remain closely linked to degree‑level qualifications [1]. In an economy that’s changing faster than ever, the range of outcomes matters just as much as where you start. 

Apprenticeships are not a universal alternative 

Apprenticeships are an important and growing pathway, and they work well for some people. But they’re not capable of replacing university degrees at scale. 

There were around 353,500 apprenticeship starts in England in the 2024/25 academic year [4][5], compared with close to three million students enrolled at UK universities [12]. Degree‑level apprenticeships accounted for only a small proportion of these starts (17%), with 26,780 at undergraduate-level and 33,560 at postgraduate-level, meaning they remain a limited option relative to total demand for post‑18 education [5]. 

The maths is straightforward: apprenticeships alone cannot meet demand, and they don’t suit every learner or career path. University remains the main route into professional, technical and leadership roles across the UK economy [4][5]. 

Where you live while studying still matters  

Cost pressures have pushed more students to stay at home while studying, but the clear majority still choose to leave home. UCAS data shows that around two-thirds (69%) of UK 18‑year‑olds entering higher education in 2025 planned to live away while studying [6], and this is more common among students attending higher‑tariff universities [13].  

Commuting can work for some students, of course. But the research consistently shows that students who live away from home are more likely to engage fully in academic life, build stronger peer networks and develop a greater sense of belonging – and these factors are associated with continuation rates, wellbeing and longer‑term outcomes [7][8]. 

Large‑scale studies of residential and living‑learning environments find higher levels of academic engagement, participation in group learning and societies, and social connection among students in dedicated student communities [7][8]. These effects are strongest in the early years of study, when confidence, independence and networks are still forming. 

Living away isn’t about putting distance between a student and home. It’s about being close enough to the full experience to actually have it. 

Community builds the skills AI cannot replace 

The rise of AI has prompted fears about the future of graduate jobs, but the evidence suggests a more complex picture. 

Research from the OECD, MIT and the European Commission highlights that roles most exposed to AI tend to place more cognitive and human demands on people, not less. As automation of routine tasks increases, employers increasingly need people who can think critically, collaborate, lead and adapt – all skills that are more strongly associated with degree‑level education [9][10][11]. 

Additionally, these attributes are not developed through a syllabus alone. They’re built through experience – group projects, open debate, leadership roles, shared living and exposure to diverse perspectives – no algorithm can replicate that. University environments, particularly those where students live and learn together, are where development happens, every single day. 

More than accommodation – a place to belong 

Across our Unite Students and Hello Student properties, we believe accommodation should be more than a bed and a postcode. It should create the conditions for belonging, confidence and connection – inclusive communities that help students settle quickly, shared spaces that encourage interaction rather than isolation, on‑site teams focused on wellbeing and safety, and events and experiences that bring people together. 

For many students, the difference between attending university and truly experiencing it comes down to whether they feel part of a community. 

A decision that still delivers value 

The university experience is not without its challenges, and it should never be oversold. But the idea that higher education no longer delivers value is simply not supported by the data. 

Degrees continue to open doors. Living away continues to build independence, networks and confidence. And community continues to matter, perhaps more than ever, in a rapidly changing world. 

Choosing university, and choosing to stay away, remains one of the most powerful investments a student can make in their future. 

Sources:

1. Department for Education / Office for National Statistics, Graduate labour market statistics: 2024 (June 2025)  
2. Explore Education Statistics (DfE), Graduate labour market statistics, calendar year 2024  
3. Universities UK, Graduate outcomes: what the latest data reveals (July 2025)  
4. Department for Education, Apprenticeships: Academic year 2024/25 
5. House of Commons Library, Apprenticeship statistics for England (December 2025) 
6. UCAS – End of Cycle 2025 data (published December 2025)  
7. Hurtado et al., The Relationship Between Residential Learning Communities and Student Engagement, ACUHO‑I Research Foundation (2019) 
8. Dahl et al., Investigating the Influence of Residential Learning Communities on Student Experiences (2019)  
9. OECD, Artificial intelligence and the changing demand for skills in the labour market (2025) 
10. MIT Sloan, How artificial intelligence impacts the US labor market (October 2025)  
11. European Commission Joint Research Centre, AI skills supply and demand (2025)
12. HESA, Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2023/24 (2025)