What becomes of humanities graduates?

Nicola Shelton and Oliver Duke-Williams, UCL

(Project no. 1007013)

Graduates in humanities have lower salaries and lower employment rates in the UK than graduates in medicine and science (ONS, 2013).

But does this affect long term outcomes? The ONS Longitudinal Study for England and Wales (ONS LS) gives us a unique opportunity to study the economic and health outcomes of graduates by university discipline studied.

All adults with a post age 18 qualification were asked the title of the course, the subject they studied, the year they obtained the qualification and the institution at which they studied, in both the 1971 and 1991 censuses. This is very detailed, offering up to six write in options for subject and has been grouped by ONS into 186 subjects in 1971 and 111 subjects in 1991. Overall participation in higher education in the UK increased from 3.4% in 1950, to 8.4% in 1970, and 19.3% in 1990 (Bolton, 2012). The 1971 respondents will include adults who gained their degrees over their lifetime (so potentially back to the late 1800s). The 1991 graduates will also include anyone with a degree who was enumerated in 1971 and was present and successfully linked in 1991, and also new graduates since 1971 and any immigrants since 1971 who had or obtained a degree prior to the 1991 Census.

In all Censuses occupation (current and for those not employed most recent job and year last worked) is also asked.

In the 1991, 2001 and 2011 Censuses questions about health were asked: general health 2001 onwards and limiting long term illness 1991 onwards. As well as census data, the ONS LS contains linked data on death registrations of sample members.

This research will examine the employment, health and mortality outcomes for graduates by subject area (humanities, arts, sciences, social sciences) in England and Wales at two time points taking into account age and time period of study. A priori it is