Coventry ranks last for accounting graduates entering skilled work
The article warns prospective students that a degree’s value can vary sharply by university, even within subjects such as accounting, law, computer science and economics that are expected to lead to skilled work. It argues that weak employment outcomes make some courses poor investments, especially as tuition and student borrowing rise and graduate jobs are harder to secure.
It measures outcomes by the share of graduates in high-skilled jobs 15 months after leaving. For accounting, the article contrasts a 97.7% rate at the London School of Economics with 19.3% at Coventry, which it ranks last among 82 universities for the subject. It also names Buckinghamshire New, Greater Manchester, Bedfordshire, Sunderland and SOAS among universities with low accounting outcomes, while stressing that poor results in one subject do not represent an entire university.
In short
- Graduate job outcomes differ sharply between universities.
- LSE accounting graduates have a 97.7% high-skilled employment rate.
- Coventry’s accounting rate is 19.3%, according to the article.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Prospective students deserve clear, course-level employment data because a degree can involve substantial costs and borrowing, and outcomes may differ greatly between universities offering the same subject. If some accounting courses leave few graduates in skilled work, highlighting that pattern can help applicants compare options, question value for money and prompt universities to improve support or course design.
The case against
A 15-month snapshot of high-skilled employment is a limited measure of a degree’s value: graduates may pursue further study, enter work that builds towards a skilled role, or face local labour-market conditions beyond a university’s control. Ranking courses by one outcome risks overstating what the figures say about teaching quality or long-term prospects, and could unfairly damage a university’s wider reputation despite differences between its subjects and graduates.
Explained simply
Accounting degrees are offered at many UK universities, but graduates’ job outcomes can differ widely between courses. One measure used in the article is the share of graduates working in high-skilled jobs 15 months after finishing their studies.
Universities such as Coventry and the London School of Economics are compared on that measure, alongside other institutions. The figures matter to prospective students weighing course choices against tuition costs and borrowing, though an outcome for one subject does not describe every course at a university.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Where NOT to study: So many want a degree in law, accounting, computer science and economics no matter which university they attend. Now, we’ve crunched the numbers… and these are the ones that aren’t worth it”.