Gone are the days when a university graduate can walk out of the university into a good job. Today’s students feel under pressure, have to contend with historically high student debt and are worried about being able to find the right job (or indeed any job) after graduation.

In the aftermath of raised tuition fees there is growing consumer pressure from students driven by feelings of dissatisfaction with services provided by their institutions. Universities operating in an increasingly competitive space would benefit from expanding their range of services, introducing more flexibility into their offering, and generally being more transparent to compete for the brightest applicants and to help prospective students make a more informed choice about where to study.

This report will look at the changing educational choices and reasons for going to university. It will delve into the state of student finances and how students spend their money. The report will also examine their postgraduate plans and attitudes towards their future prospects, raised tuition fees and parental pressure for academic achievement.

Mintel conducted consumer research in May 2014 on a sample of 994 internet users aged 18+ who are full-time university students.