Almost half of the UK public think too many people go to university, according to a new poll.

YouGov asked voters for their views after prime minister Keir Starmer recently scrapped the 50 per cent higher education participation target, saying it was not ¡°right for our times¡±,?in favour of a new target encompassing apprenticeships as well.

Results show?that 45 per cent of respondents agree that too many young people go to university. Around a quarter (23 per cent) said the current number is about right, and 10 per cent said not enough people go to university.

This varied quite significantly between parties ¨C with 61 per cent of Reform voters, 60 per cent of Tory voters and 55 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters saying too many people go to university.

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In comparison, 38 per cent of Labour and Green voters say the same. Green voters were also four times more likely than Reform voters to say that not enough people attend higher education.

Almost half (46 per cent) of the 4,000 participants in the survey say an apprenticeship is better preparation for the future than university ¨C compared?with only?6 per cent who say it was the other way around. A further 43 per cent say both are equally good preparation.

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Graduates had a better view of higher education than non-graduates but still?only 10 per cent of them thought universities were the better option.

YouGov said these figures, which were taken from a poll in October, are largely the same as when it polled this topic previously in 2022.

Recent political debates on higher education have often centred around whether a university degree helps students get better prospects, and criticism of ¡°Mickey Mouse degrees¡± which leave them in debt.

According to the survey, the British public have clear views on what types of courses benefit graduates.?Only 22 per cent said performing arts degrees would leave them better off.

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In comparison, 86 per cent say medicine would benefit them in the long term and 83 per cent say the same about law.

This ties in with other findings in the poll, which suggested that the public view future employment as the biggest reason to go to university.

Over a third (35 per cent) say the main point of a degree was to get a good job afterwards. This was compared?with 25 per cent who say it was to gain expertise in a specific subject, 16 per cent to offer opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery and 13 per cent to gain wider critical thinking.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com