One in five students cannot do degree they wanted after selecting incorrect school subjects, poll finds

One in five students have found themselves unable to do a degree that interested them because they did not have the right subjects for it, a new poll has suggested, while an education union leader has criticised “piecemeal” government support on helping students plan for the future.

This was most apparent for courses that require a specific set of qualifications, such as medicine, dentistry, maths and economics, according to Ucas.

Two in five university students said they thought more information and advice would have resulted in them making better choices in a new survey by the university admissions service.

Meanwhile, one third of those polled said they would have chosen different subjects to study for post-16 qualifications, such as A-levels, now knowing what their degree course involves, while one quarter said the same for GCSE and National 5 options.

An education union leader said all pupils should have access to high-quality careers information and advice to help them choose their future path.

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“Unfortunately, the government dismantled national careers advice services in 2012 and left schools and colleges to pick up the pieces while squeezing their budgets,” Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association for School and College Leaders (ASCL) said.

“Matters have improved since then through various initiatives but government support is characteristically piecemeal and inadequate.”

The Ucas report, which highlights the impact of qualification and subject choice on students’ futures, found nearly one in three students said they did not receive any information and advice about apprenticeships from their school.

Meanwhile, one in three respondents said they first realised in primary school that higher education was an option for them.

Better off students were 1.4 times more likely to do this, according to the survey of more than 27,000 first and second year university students in the UK.

Just over a quarter of disadvantaged students said they started thinking about higher education at primary school, compared to 39 per cent of their more advantaged peers, it found.

“We know that early engagement raises aspiration,” Clare Marchant, Ucas chief executive, said.

“The data showing that disadvantaged students tend to consider the prospect of higher education later than their more advantaged peers clearly demonstrates the need to embed careers information, advice and guidance within primary schools and early secondary years to raise aspirations from an early age.”

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Earlier this year, the Office for Students found white British teenagers who had received free school meals were among the least likely to go to university.

Its director of fair participation suggested “experience across successive generations” could play a role in this.

In the new Ucas survey, one in four students polled said their parents or carers were their biggest help in determining their choice of degree course, and many follow similar pathways.

Those with a parent or carer who is a medical practitioner are eight times more likely to study medicine or dentistry, according to the Ucas analysis.

Disadvantaged students are more likely to report not having the relevant subjects to study medicine, it adds.

Ms Marchant from Ucas said: “Whilst choice is a core part of the UK higher education system, it is essential that students know how to navigate this. No student should unknowingly close the door to their career aspirations.”

The report says students “should know the consequence” of choices they make “along their journey”.

“From the analysis, we see that some students would have made different decisions had they had better careers information, advice and guidance.”

In a foreword to the report, Salsabil Elmegri, vice president Further Education at the National Union of Students (NUS), said: “Students deserve to know what they’re signing up for, and any decisions concerning their futures should not be rushed into or driven by pressure."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We have invested over £100m this financial year alone towards high-quality careers provision, including the rollout of the Enterprise Adviser network reaching more than 4,000 schools and colleges and connecting 3.3 million young people to future employers, and National Careers Service support to those who need it.”

They added: "We know there is more to do, and pledged earlier this year as part of our Skills for Jobs White Paper to expand this offer, rolling out services to all secondary schools and colleges in England."

Additional reporting by Press Association