This report looks at the group of nearly 30,000 young domestic students who last enrolled in a tertiary education provider in 2003, and examines the influence of their tertiary education on their earnings in the first year following study and three years post-study.
Key Results
For young domestic students last enrolled in tertiary education in 2003, median annual three-year post-study earnings were:
- 51 percent higher for those with a bachelor’s degree compared with those with a level 1 to 3 (upper-secondary level equivalent) certificate.
- 30 percent higher for those with a bachelor’s degree compared with those with a diploma.
- 16 percent higher for those with a diploma compared with those with a level 1 to 3 certificate.
- 16 percent higher for those with a master’s degree compared with those with a bachelor’s.
- 46 percent higher for those with a doctorate compared with those with a bachelor’s.
Completing a bachelor’s degree matters. Young students who completed their degreeearned 29 percent more than those young students who left without completing their degree