More students save money by choosing two-year degrees

A record number of applications for two-year degrees show students are looking for ways to cut the cost of studying.

Two-year degrees save students’ time by having slightly longer terms and more evenly distributed holidays than the more conventional three-year model.

The University of Buckingham was the first institution to offer two-year degrees and currently charges tuition fees of around £25,000 for two years compared to other universities that charge £27,750 for three. Students also appreciate not having the expense of living costs for a third year.

From 2017-18 Buckingham received 1,474 applicants as opposed to 1,340 in 2016-17. The number accepted on to courses starting last September was 284, a 31 per cent year-on-year increase. The university also has entries in January.

The university is a top-rated “gold” in the government’s teaching rankings and performs very strongly in the official student satisfaction survey.

Ministers are strong supporters of accelerated degrees and have questioned why, in spite of their growing popularity, they are not more common.

Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Buckingham said: “There’s no compromise when it comes to quality. The rankings speak for themselves.

“Our students have about the same length of holidays as schoolchildren – 12 weeks a year – which is ample for relaxing, travel, voluntary work and to spend time with family and friends.”

He added: “With student finance an increasingly complicated picture, many students are finding alternative sources to keep up with costs, including paid employment and borrowing from friends, family or personal loans.”

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