Value of agriculture degrees face government scrutiny

The government has announced plans to crack down on “rip-off” university degrees, with agriculture included in its review.

Degree courses with high drop-out rates that do not lead to good jobs and leave young people with poor pay and high debts will come under scrutiny.

The plans, announced by the education secretary Gillian Keegan, form a part of the government’s response to the Augar Review, which looked into post-18 education under Theresa May’s government.

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Under the plans, the Office for Students (OfS) will be asked to limit the number of students that universities can recruit onto courses that are failing to deliver good outcomes for students.

Looking at graduate earnings in comparison to non-graduates, the Augar Review found that students of subjects, including agriculture, communications, languages and history, had “little to no earning premium” over that of non-graduates.

Mrs Keegan said: “These new measures will crackdown on higher education providers that continue to offer poor-quality courses and send a clear signal that we will not allow students to be sold a false promise.

“Wherever they choose to study, it is vital students can gain the skills needed to get great jobs and succeed – supporting the prime minister’s priority to grow our economy.”

Also included in the announcement were plans to decrease the maximum fee that universities can charge for foundation year courses to £5,760, down from £9,250.