New analysis based on 2023-24 Department for Education Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data offers an interesting answer.
The Edumentors analysis, reviewed by COSMIQ, compares 33 UK subject fields by estimating how long graduates take to recover the financial gap created by higher education.
The calculation considers graduate earnings against a non-graduate baseline, missed income during study and student loan deductions rather than simply ranking subjects by starting salary.
Therefore, this distinction matters, because a degree can lead to a high salary but still take longer to repay its initial financial cost if it requires more years of study or produces significant income.
In this article, Tribune Online discusses some familiar professional degrees that perform astonishingly well.
Economics: 5.6 years
Economics comes out on top, with an estimated 5.6-year payback period. The analysis also puts the subject’s 10-year median earnings at about £71,400, the highest among the 10 fields highlighted.
The attraction is partly the range of careers available after graduation. Economics can lead into banking, consulting, financial analysis, government, policy, business and data-related roles, giving graduates several routes into relatively well-paid professional work. That flexibility can be valuable when the labor market changes.
Medicine and Dentistry: 5.7 years
Medicine and dentistry follow extremely closely, with an estimated 5.7-year payback period and 10-year median earnings of approximately £64,800.
At first glance, that result may seem counterintuitive because medical education generally takes longer than many other undergraduate routes. The calculation, though, looks beyond the years spent studying and considers the earnings trajectory after graduation.
Once qualified, doctors and dentists enter professions with established career structures and relatively strong earning potential.
For students considering these fields, the short estimated payback should not obscure the demanding training, professional requirements and long-term commitment involved.
Engineering: 6.4 years
Engineering takes third place, with graduates estimated to recover the financial cost of their education in 6.4 years. Their reported 10-year median earnings are about £53,100.
Engineering also has an advantage that is easy to overlook: it is not a single career. Mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, aerospace and other engineering disciplines can lead into different industries, from infrastructure and manufacturing to energy and technology.
That breadth gives graduates room to move as demand changes, although earnings can vary considerably depending on specialization, employer, location and experience.
Mathematical Sciences: 6.7 years
Mathematical Sciences records a 6.7-year payback period, with median earnings of around £53,800 after 10 years.
The financial value of mathematics increasingly extends beyond traditional academic careers. Graduates can move into actuarial work, finance, analytics, technology, research and other roles where quantitative reasoning is highly valued.
It is also a useful reminder that the degree title alone does not determine earnings. The skills developed during the course and how effectively graduates apply them in the labor market can have just as much influence.
Physics and Astronomy: 6.7 years
Physics and Astronomy matches Mathematical Sciences with a 6.7-year payback period, while its 10-year median earnings are estimated at £54,200.
Physics graduates are not limited to laboratory or academic careers. Their mathematical and analytical training can transfer into engineering, technology, finance, data analysis and research-intensive industries. That transferability helps explain why a subject that is not traditionally viewed as a direct vocational route can still deliver a relatively quick financial return.
Architecture, Building and Planning: 7.6 years
Architecture, Building and Planning ranks sixth, with a 7.6-year estimated payback period.
The field sits at an interesting intersection of technical knowledge, design and the built environment. Graduates can work across architecture, construction, planning, property and related professional services, although earnings and career progression can differ significantly across those paths.
For prospective students, the result also highlights the importance of considering the total education journey. Professional qualifications and additional training can affect how quickly the initial investment is recovered.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy: 7.8 years
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy comes next at 7.8 years. These subjects connect scientific training with healthcare, pharmaceuticals, research and regulated professional practice.
Pharmacy, in particular, offers a clearly defined professional route, while pharmacology and toxicology can open doors into research, pharmaceutical companies and other scientific roles. The payback figure therefore provides a useful financial benchmark, but students should still investigate the specific qualification and registration requirements attached to their chosen career.
Computing: 7.8 years
Computing also records a 7.8-year payback period, putting it level with Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy.
The result is notable because computing is often associated with high-paying technology careers. Yet a degree’s financial return depends on more than the headline salaries attached to software engineering or artificial intelligence. Graduate outcomes vary according to specialization, technical ability, experience, employer and the broader technology market.
The long-term opportunity remains broad, particularly as digital skills continue to spread across finance, healthcare, manufacturing, government and professional services.
Medical Sciences: 8.2 years
Medical Sciences has an estimated 8.2-year payback period. It is another example of a degree where the career destination matters enormously.
Medical science graduates may pursue laboratory research, healthcare-related roles, postgraduate study or careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Unlike a degree leading directly to one regulated profession, the financial outcome can depend heavily on whether the graduate continues into further education and which career path follows.
Nursing and Midwifery: 8.4 years
Nursing and Midwifery completes the top 10 with an estimated 8.4-year payback period. That is slower than the subjects above it, but the field offers something the payback figure does not fully capture: strong employment stability.
The Edumentors analysis notes that 91.2% of nursing and midwifery graduates remained in work or further study 10 years after graduation, the highest retention figure highlighted in the analysis.
That makes the subject particularly interesting for students who value dependable employment alongside earnings. A slightly longer financial payback may be a reasonable trade-off for a career with strong demand and a clearer employment pathway.
What the payback figures really mean
It is crucial to note that rankings does not interpret or promise that every economics graduate will recover their university costs in 5.6 years, or that every computing graduate will do so in 7.8 years. These are estimates based on aggregated data and a particular methodology.
The underlying DfE LEO statistics track education, employment and earnings outcomes using linked administrative data from sources including the Department for Education, HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions. The latest 2023-24 release was published in June 2026 and provides graduate outcomes by subject and other characteristics.
There is also a changing cost backdrop. For the 2026-27 academic year, the maximum standard tuition fee for eligible full-time students at providers meeting the relevant conditions is £9,790, up from £9,535 in 2025-26.
For an international student, the calculation can look very different although, because overseas tuition fees are often substantially higher and may not follow the same financing arrangements as UK students. Due to the living costs, visa expenses, accommodation and the ability to work while studying can further change the real payback period.
Ultimately, the smartest degree choice is not necessarily the one with the shortest payback. Economics may win the financial race, but medicine may offer professional security, engineering offers career breadth, and nursing offers strong employment stability.