Physical Sciences
Physical Sciences
5 years after Graduation.
EXPLAINER NOTES BY ANDY GARDNER
Subjects covered include:
Chemistry, Materials science, Physics, Forensic & archaeological sciences, Astronomy, Geology, Science of aquatic & terrestrial environments, Physical geographical sciences, Environmental Sc, Meteorology
General Median salaries to compare with below:
For all 24-29-year-olds in work in 2014-15: £20,800 WonkHE. For all ages, £27,600 in 2015 ASHE
Interesting points from the depths of the LEO spreadsheet:
I’m worried that some of the courses with the lowest median earnings may be Forensic Science courses. Median earnings seem to correlate very closely with prior attainment bands.
It’s not just about the money!
There are many reasons to go to university; Love of a subject, independent and critical thinking, independent living (if affordable!). It’s not just about salary levels, however applicants must not be misled by general statements about a blanket graduate dividend, these can be clearly bogus. See information below.
For courses with a clear vocational link, check to see if there is a relevant apprenticeship standard:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apprenticeship-standards https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/institute-for-apprenticeships
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeshipsearch
Physical Sciences
Data Set

HE provider | Upper quartile | Median earnings | Lower quartile |
---|---|---|---|
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine | 51100 | 38500 | 30200 |
The University of Oxford | 52700 | 38300 | 30100 |
The University of Cambridge | 48800 | 35900 | 27500 |
The University of Warwick | 45300 | 33200 | 27100 |
Birkbeck College | 37600 | 32700 | 22700 |
King's College London | 41000 | 31600 | 25100 |
University of Nottingham | 40500 | 31500 | 25400 |
University of Durham | 41400 | 30900 | 25600 |
The University of Bristol | 39600 | 30700 | 25600 |
The University of Bath | 38300 | 30600 | 25600 |
University College London | 41500 | 30100 | 22300 |
The University of Greenwich | 36100 | 30000 | 19600 |
The University of Edinburgh | 39800 | 30000 | 25500 |
The University of Aberdeen | 36600 | 29800 | 24900 |
The University of Exeter | 34300 | 29200 | 22000 |
The University of Southampton | 37000 | 29200 | 24600 |
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College | 35900 | 28900 | 24600 |
The University of Birmingham | 36600 | 28400 | 22500 |
The University of Manchester | 37700 | 28400 | 21200 |
The University of Surrey | 34800 | 28100 | 19900 |
The Open University in England16 | 40200 | 28000 | 20300 |
The University of Leicester | 34500 | 27900 | 23100 |
University of the Arts, London | 36200 | 27900 | 15100 |
The University of York | 32100 | 27600 | 21300 |
The University of Glasgow | 32800 | 27600 | 19300 |
The University of Reading | 33300 | 27500 | 23900 |
Loughborough University | 34600 | 27400 | 23300 |
The University of St Andrews | 37400 | 27400 | 21200 |
The University of Leeds | 33000 | 27100 | 21000 |
The University of Strathclyde | 30200 | 26900 | 20100 |
Cardiff University | 32800 | 26700 | 20900 |
GB | 33600 | 26600 | 20100 |
The University of Liverpool | 30800 | 26500 | 21300 |
The University of Sussex | 32000 | 26500 | 22400 |
The University of Sheffield | 32200 | 26400 | 20000 |
University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne | 31900 | 26200 | 21000 |
The University of Kent | 34300 | 26100 | 21600 |
The University of East Anglia | 30700 | 25600 | 22000 |
The University of Hull | 31300 | 25600 | 18800 |
The University of Dundee | 35300 | 25600 | 21800 |
Queen Mary University of London | 29300 | 25500 | 19200 |
Heriot-Watt University | 29100 | 25500 | 18700 |
The Nottingham Trent University | 29100 | 25100 | 18900 |
The University of Lancaster | 28400 | 24900 | 19400 |
The University of Portsmouth | 31300 | 24900 | 18900 |
The Robert Gordon University | 38000 | 24800 | 19300 |
Oxford Brookes University | 32000 | 24700 | 16300 |
Swansea University | 29100 | 24600 | 20100 |
University of Hertfordshire | 29700 | 24500 | 19300 |
Kingston University | 29500 | 24400 | 18200 |
Glasgow Caledonian University | 29900 | 24400 | 18400 |
Bath Spa University | 27300 | 24200 | 21100 |
University of the West of England, Bristol | 29200 | 24200 | 19100 |
The University of Brighton | 29800 | 24000 | 19100 |
Bournemouth University | 28400 | 23900 | 18500 |
The University of Keele | 30200 | 23600 | 19200 |
London Metropolitan University | 32400 | 23600 | 17500 |
University of Plymouth | 29100 | 23600 | 17800 |
University of South Wales | 31200 | 23400 | 18300 |
Edge Hill University | 27900 | 23200 | 16500 |
Bangor University | 28600 | 23200 | 17100 |
SRUC | 26400 | 23200 | 15700 |
University of Northumbria at Newcastle | 27500 | 22900 | 18800 |
Canterbury Christ Church University | 26800 | 22600 | 14000 |
Coventry University | 27600 | 22600 | 17700 |
The Manchester Metropolitan University | 29000 | 22300 | 17600 |
Sheffield Hallam University | 32600 | 22300 | 16300 |
Aberystwyth University | 27900 | 22000 | 17900 |
Liverpool John Moores University | 27000 | 21900 | 15900 |
The University of Stirling | 27600 | 21900 | 17600 |
The University of the West of Scotland | 26800 | 21900 | 17500 |
University of Gloucestershire | 25300 | 21500 | 16300 |
Teesside University | 27400 | 21400 | 16000 |
Anglia Ruskin University | 27700 | 21300 | 16500 |
The University of Huddersfield | 25000 | 21200 | 14800 |
The University of Lincoln | 28700 | 21200 | 17800 |
University of Abertay Dundee | 26500 | 21000 | 15600 |
The University of Central Lancashire | 26100 | 20800 | 16100 |
The University of Salford | 27900 | 20800 | 12900 |
The University of Sunderland | 25300 | 20800 | 17900 |
Staffordshire University | 26200 | 20700 | 15800 |
The University of Wolverhampton | 23800 | 18900 | 12100 |
University of Chester | 23000 | 18700 | 14200 |
University of Derby | 24400 | 18700 | 15600 |
The University of Bradford | 25300 | 18500 | 13300 |
De Montfort University | 27400 | 18500 | 15700 |
University of Cumbria | 23000 | 17900 | 15000 |
University of Wales Trinity Saint David | 18100 | 16700 | 10700 |