University Vs Apprenticeship Degree

Is one degree better than the other?

The degree you finish with from a degree apprenticeship will be as valued as any other would. It will be awarded by an accredited university and will be an Honours Degree.

University or a degree apprenticeship?

University vs Apprenticeship? That depends on what you want to study. There aren’t degree apprenticeships available for every subject, and those that are available are vocational. You can’t do a degree apprenticeship in Languages but you can do them in Engineering.

What if both routes are an option?

It depends on what you’re looking for in a course. Would you like a more hands-on, interactive learning approach? Then an apprenticeship would be right for you. Would you like a more theoretical and analytical learning approach? Then university is right for you.

Will I miss out on the University lifestyle?

You won’t experience university life in the same way as people who are attending university full time. However, you may need to live away from home and will be with other people doing the same training and studying as you. It might be a different experience to full time university students but you will also be attending lectures on campus and will experience living away from home with other apprentices. Many companies that offer degree apprenticeships will provide monetary support for any apprentices who will be living away from home for the first time.

What will make me more employable?

It’s not guaranteed that your employer will offer you a permanent job at the end of your degree apprenticeship but you are far more likely to remain employed for them as you have been trained exactly how they want. A university degree does make you highly employable but they’re typically less vocational and most graduates who have been to university will still require job-specific training.

What are the costs like?

Degree apprenticeships have a definite advantage over a university degree with regard to costs. If you are doing a degree apprenticeship, you will be paid a salary by your employer and they will also cover the tuition fee costs, so the cost is much lower.

If there is no degree apprenticeship for the career you want or you want to experience university life, then there are other ways of reducing the cost through loans, scholarships, grants, and bursaries. Taking out a student loan and going into debt may seem scary but it’s important to remember you don’t pay anything back until you make at least £21,000 a year before you start to pay it back. When you do begin to pay the loans back, it will only be in small increments and not the majority of your paycheque.