We all know that anyone lucky enough to have gone to private school will have a big advantage in life. That’s a bit of a given – or why else would any bother spending the money? But by the time you graduate from university, most people assume that the level playing field is a bit more level when we hit the jobs market – surely it’s the type of degree you get that determines what kind of job you get, not where you happen to have gone to secondary school?
Well, depressingly, it looks like that’s still not the case because graduates from state schools still earn less than their private school counterparts – even when they have exactly the same level degree, in the same subject and when going into the same job.
The study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that there is still a six per cent gap in earnings – which amounts to about £1,500 a year, reports The Times Educational Supplement. Basically, what that indicates is that the benefits of expensive private schooling don’t just help secure a place at the best universities, but also more financial security later in life.
So all you need to make money is some money to begin with. Great. That seems fair.
Researchers looked at the earnings of graduates both six months and 3.5 years after students had graduated. Overall, private school educated grads earn 17 per cent or £4,500 more than people from state school. But part of the discrepancy could be attributed to the fact that they’re much more likely to get into the best universities or they might be opting for higher paid jobs.
Howver, the study also showed that the pay gap still persists even when graduates have exactly the same level degree in the same occupation, which indicated that the ‘old boy network’ might well still be going strong and giving the wealthy an unfair advantage in the jobs’ market.
**READ MORE: More Disadvantaged Teens Than Ever Want To Go To Uni **
Lead researcher Dr Claire Crawford explained: ‘Education is often regarded as a route to social mobility. But our research shows that, even among those who succeed in obtaining a degree, family background – and in particular the type of school they went to – continues to influence their success in the work place.’
The researchers made some educated guesses as to why this is still the case and, unsurprisingly, nepotism plays its part. But they also think private school educated people pick up better non-verbal communication skills than people from state schools.
‘There are many reasons why we might expect graduates from the private sector to earn more, including access to particular social networks or having better non-cognitive skills. While there is much speculation about whether private schools do inculcate better non-cognitive skills in children, there is to our knowledge no robust evidence that this is the case.
‘Taken together, our results imply that university does not entirely level the playing field across students from different socio-economic backgrounds.’
I suppose the real question is, if you’re spending £26,000 on three years at university, and the posh kid next to you in your seminar is still going to earn more than you afterwards, is it worth it?
Like this? Then you might also be interested in:
**The First Time Anyone Called Me a ‘Paki’ Was at Cambridge **
**You’re Not Supposed To Be Depressed at Uni, But It’s a Breeding Ground For Sadness **
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.