A new report from the Policy Institute at King’s College London and the Hepi think tank finds widespread misunderstanding about universities, including tuition fees and student debt. The study, based on a survey of more than 2,000 UK adults conducted in June, shows almost six in ten young graduates wrongly believe they must start repaying their student loan as soon as they take any paid work. Among graduates aged 18 to 34, the figure rises to about 58%.

The research also highlights overestimation of the public’s willingness to forgo university and a misperception of universities’ economic impact. The public believes around 40% of graduates would not attend university if given the choice again, but the figure from last year’s survey is 8%. On finance, just 6% correctly identified Oxford as the highest-revenue institution from a list of seven, with Oxford’s income more than £1 billion higher than Greggs (≈€1.16 billion more). It also found 13% think remaining in the UK to seek asylum is the most common outcome among overseas students who entered the country three years earlier; in reality, 0.5% do this.

Professors and policy researchers respond that the findings reflect a gap between public perception and official data. Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute, said the standout finding was the overestimation of graduate regret, driven by vivid personal stories and negative background noise about the value of a degree. Hepi director Nick Hillman added that universities are larger in income and employment impact than people recognise, and urged clearer information about student finance and more campus visits. Universities UK noted the sector’s contribution to the economy—more than £265 billion in 2021-22 (≈€307.4 billion)—and called for better information to help people make informed choices about higher education. The Department for Education said the sector delivers high-quality outcomes and that plans for reform will appear in the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White Paper.