Few students attending English and Welsh universities feel that £9,000 a year is good value for money when it comes to their degrees.

A newly published YouGov Omnibus survey has revealed that only 13 per cent of students agreed that “the standard of education and the increased wages graduates earn mean English/Welsh university degrees are worth the money”.

By contrast, 62 per cent felt that “the standard of education and the wages graduates earn are not enough to warrant the cost of English/ Welsh university degrees”.

The remaining students agreed with neither statement (14 per cent), or said they didn’t know which they agreed with more (11 per cent).

This is despite the fact that 86 per cent of students report feeling satisfied with the quality of their university course, including 25 per cent who are “very” satisfied. By contrast, only 13 per cent said they feel dissatisfied, while the remaining two per cent answered “don’t know”.

Some 59 per cent of those students who are satisfied with the quality of their degree believe that that fees are too high. Even among those who are “very” satisfied that figure is still as high as 45 per cent – with only 22 per cent feeling they are worth the money.

It is not that students don’t expect to gain anything from their degrees. Seven in ten (70 per cent) think that they will be better off financially over the course of their life thanks to their university education. However, 14 per cent think their degree will make no difference to their lifetime earnings, and seven per cent believe it will actually leave them worse off.

Likewise, more than eight in ten students (85 per cent) believe that obtaining their degree will improve their prospects of getting a good job – only 10 per cent believe it makes no difference to their chances.

Nevertheless, such expectations are not enough to make students think the price of a university education is worth it. Six in ten (59 per cent) of those who expect to be better off financially as a result of having a university degree believe they are too high (including 54 per cent of those who expect to be “much better off”).

Similarly, 62 per cent of those who think they will be more capable of getting a good job thanks to their degree don’t think £9,000 a year is warranted, including 53 per cent who feel “much more able to get a good job”.