Graduates from East Midlands universities who stay to work in the region can see a substantial premium from their degree, new data has revealed.

The figures, published for the first time, show the earnings of graduates from each university in different regions of the country five years after they have finished their studies.

For almost the East Midlands’ universities, graduates who stayed to work in the region earned more than local non-graduates who had at least five A*-C GCSEs.

The data also highlights that degrees from East Midland’s universities are also valued by employers across the country. Students from the region’s major universities like Loughborough, Leicester and Nottingham had higher average earnings than non-graduates in every region in England.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said: “It is great to see graduates who study and stay to work in the East Midlands are reaping the benefits of our world-leading higher education.

“This data highlights how important universities are to their regions and play a key role in their local economies.

“This data is a milestone for the thousands of future students, helping them to work out whether university is for them, and where to study and work. I hope this will particularly help students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are often more likely to study in their home region, as the data shows the potential benefits of gaining a degree wherever you are.

“It is important for young people to know that they will not only get a rich education at university, but that their degree will be good value for money.”

The new figures published today can help young people make better choices about whether to go to university, where they study and their graduate opportunities.

Previous data, published in July 2019, showed that average earnings for young graduates in the East Midlands were £24,200 – 17% more than non-graduates of a similar age in the region with five A*-Cs at GCSE.

The publication is part of the Department’s drive to improve transparency around higher education, ensuring that information about likely earnings, employability and teaching quality is easy to access for everyone going to university.

In a letter to the Office for Students in September, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson made clear that higher education delivering value for money is a priority for the Government.