A Yorks & Humber arts degree secures a great future

Ignore the doomsters: studying an arts degree secures you a great future in Yorkshire and the Humber

The latest data from the Complete University Guide have revealed an encouraging trend for graduates, with nearly 80% nationally now securing positions in graduate-level or professional roles, or pursuing postgraduate education. This landmark finding signals a significant confirmation of the enduring value of a degree in today's competitive job market.

The data were revealed in the compilation of the 2025 UK university league tables, published today.

The data reveal a striking narrative, as 71.3% of graduates in Yorkshire and the Humber who studied music, 74.4% in creative writing, and 79.3% in history of art, architecture and design have successfully transitioned into graduate-level or professional roles, or pursued postgraduate education. This dispels the pervasive myth that only STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects offer viable career pathways for students.

In Yorkshire and the Humber studying music, for example, will have a great impact on your employment opportunities. Students who attended the University of Leeds had 89.2% positive graduate prospects and the University of Huddersfield 77.4%. This was replicated at York St John University where studying creative writing saw graduate outcomes fly high at 71.4%.

The Graduate Outcomes survey, first conducted by HESA in December 2018 and published in June 2020, has since become an integral component of the Complete University Guide's assessment criteria, providing the data for graduate prospects. This measure looks at the success of graduates progressing into graduate-level or professional roles, or postgraduate education.

Further analysis shows that graduates from North East universities were more likely to secure top-tier roles compared to their counterparts in London. A similar pattern emerged across regions and nations like the North West of England, East Midlands, and also Scotland and Wales.

Professor Amanda Chetwynd, Chair of the Complete University Guide advisory board, said:

"Today's data from the Complete University Guide's 2025 rankings show the value of higher education in shaping the careers of graduates across the UK. In this increasingly complex and competitive job market, it's great to see that 80% of graduates are not only quickly moving into graduate-level roles but also embracing opportunities for continued learning and professional development through postgraduate study.

"In Yorkshire and the Humber we can see that studying the arts at university will equip students well for the future and can no longer be seen as the poor relation to STEM subjects.

"These new data show that whatever subject students are passionate about studying, our league tables will help point them to universities that will help them secure an excellent career."

Not only does studying an arts degree help students secure great graduate prospects, data released by the Complete University Guide illustrate that students in Yorkshire and the Humber are benefiting from institutions delivering the best outcomes in four years. Statistics show that graduate prospects now stand at 78.7%. That's up from 75.2% in 2023.

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