This report explores degree study choices in Northern Ireland (at level 6 and above), drawing on data from the Continuous Household Survey (CHS).
It centres on three core questions:
1. What is the main reason individuals choose to study for a degree?
2. What is the main reason individuals choose not to study for a degree?
3. What is the maximum amount individuals are willing to pay annually for tuition?
1. Key Points
The leading motivation for pursuing a degree was to gain qualifications and improve the chances of securing a high-quality, well-paying job, cited by almost half (49%) of those with a degree qualification (or above).
Among those without a degree, the top reasons for not studying at degree level (or above) were preferring to enter the workforce directly (27%) and their chosen career didn’t require it (19%).
Nearly half (43%) of individuals surveyed were unwilling to pay any tuition fees, with around one in eight willing to pay £5,000 or more [Note: At the time of this survey, the annual tuition fee for a local undergraduate student attending a local university was £4,750, around half the fee (£9,250) for one attending a university elsewhere in the UK].
2. What are the motivations for degree study choices in Northern Ireland (at level 6 and above)?
This section highlights the motivations for individuals who chose to study at degree level (or higher), by asking, ’why did you choose to study for a degree (or above)?
Table 1: Motivations for individuals to study at degree level (or higher)
| Why choose to study for a degree (or above)? | Percentage of respondents with degree (or above) qualification |
|---|---|
| To gain qualifications and increase the prospect of a high quality/ well paying job | 49% |
| To follow a specific career path | 37% |
| To learn more/ increase my knowledge | 5% |
| My parent(s)/ relatives recommended it | 3% |
| I enjoy education | 2% |
| I wanted to delay getting a job/ starting a career | 1% |
| An opportunity to move away from home | 1% |
| My teachers recommended it | 1% |
| To experience new things/ places | 0% |
| My friends planned to study at the same level | 0% |
| For the social life/ meeting new people | 0% |
| Other | 1% |
| Total (n = 1451) | 100% |
Nearly half (49%) of respondents cited gaining qualifications to improve job prospects and secure well-paying employment as their primary motivation for pursuing higher education.
Over a third (37%) chose higher education to follow a specific career path, indicating strong alignment between academic choices and long-term professional goals.
Factors such as social life, peer influence, and relocation opportunities had minimal impact (less than 1%), suggesting that decisions are largely driven by personal and career-oriented considerations.
How do motivations vary by personal characteristic?
Sex - Two fifths (40%) of females chose to study for a degree to follow a specific career path, compared with approximately one-third (34%) of males.
Deprivation - Respondents from most deprived area (quintile 1) were more likely to study for a degree to gain qualifications and increase job prospects (57%) than those from least deprived area (quintile 5 - 45%).
Religion - A higher proportion of Catholics chose to study a degree to gain qualifications and increase career prospects (53%) than Protestants (44%). Conversely, more Protestants (42%) chose to continue studies for specific career paths than Catholics (35%).
A full breakdown of responses by age, sex, religion and deprivation is available on the DfE website
3. Reasons for choosing not to study for a degree in Northern Ireland (at level 6 and above)
This section highlights the reasons individuals did not choose to study for a degree (level 6 and above), by asking, ‘why did you not choose to study for a degree (or above)?’
Table 2: Reasons and alternatives to study at degree level (or higher)
| Why choose not to study for a degree (or above)? | Percentage of respondents without degree (or above) qualification |
|---|---|
| I preferred to get a job/ start a career | 27% |
| My chosen career didn’t require it | 19% |
| I didn’t get the grades for higher education | 17% |
| I didn’t enjoy education | 13% |
| I didn’t think it would help with my future career/ job prospects | 4% |
| Even with the option of loans/ grants I/ my family couldn’t afford the costs | 3% |
| I wanted to start a family | 2% |
| I had caring responsibilities | 2% |
| I was not willing to take on/ repay a student loan | 1% |
| My parent(s)/ relatives recommended against it | 1% |
| I couldn’t study the course I wanted in Northern Ireland and didn’t want to go elsewhere | 1% |
| My friends didn’t plan to study at the same level | 0% |
| Other | 10% |
| Total (n = 2963) | 100% |
The most common reason for not studying for a degree was a preference to enter the workforce directly, selected by 27% of respondents.
Similarly to motivations to study at degree level, factors such as peer/parental influence and relocation opportunities had minimal impact (less than 1%) on why individuals chose not to study at degree level.
How do reasons for choosing not to study for a degree vary by personal characteristic?
Age - Over three-tenths (31%) of over 25s preferred to get a job/start a career than study for a degree, compared with less than one tenth of under 25s (6%).
Deprivation - 23% of those from the least deprived areas (quintile 5) didn’t study for a degree as their chosen career didn’t require it, compared with only 12% from the most deprived areas (quintile 1). Conversely, almost one fifth (19%) of those from most deprived areas didn’t get the grades for higher education, compared with 11% among the least deprived.
A full breakdown of responses by age, sex, religion and deprivation is available on the DfE website
Note: This question was asked to anyone without a degree level (or above) qualification and therefore included those in the process of gaining their qualification. This was the case for the majority of respondents who selected ‘Other’ i.e. they haven’t currently got a degree (or above) level qualification but are in the process of gaining it.
4. Tuition Tolerance: What Are Students Willing to Pay?
This section highlights the value perceptions and fee tolerance for individuals, by asking, ‘how much (max) would you be willing to pay?’
[Note: At the time of this survey, the annual tuition fee for a local undergraduate student attending a local university was £4,750, around half the fee (£9,250) for one attending a university elsewhere in the UK].
Table 3: How much (max) would you be willing to pay for tuition in Northern Ireland per year?
| How much (max) would you be willing to pay? | Percentage of respondents |
|---|---|
| Unwilling to pay for tuition | 43% |
| Under £2,499 | 21% |
| £2,500 to £4,999 | 21% |
| £5,000 to £7,499 | 7% |
| £7,500 to £9,250 | 5% |
| Over £9,250 | 2% |
| Total (n = 4230) | 100% |
43% of respondents were unwilling to pay any tuition fees.
Around one in eight were willing to pay £5,000 or more, with just 2% willing to pay above £9,250.
As outlined in Table 2, 3% of people who did not study at Higher Education cited fees as the main reason for not pursuing Higher Education.
How do tuition fee tolerances vary by personal characteristic?
Age - individuals under 25 showed a higher tolerance to tuition fee costs, with one third (33%) unwilling to pay, compared with 46% of over 25s. Also, almost one third (27%) of under 25s are willing to pay over £5,000 or more, compared with 13% of over 25s.
Deprivation - Over half (53%) of individuals in the most deprived (quintile 1) areas were unwilling to pay any fees, compared with just 34% in the least deprived areas.
A full breakdown of responses by age, sex, religion and deprivation is available on the DfE website
5. Further Information
The information presented in this publication is derived from the Continuous Household Survey (CHS) 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025, which was conducted by the Central Survey Unit (CSU) of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Readers are advised to access the CHS page for additional information relating to the CHS, quality and methodology.
Contact Details
Lead Statistician: Ethan Brown