The topic of higher education is a slightly sensitive one in the UK at the moment, particularly with the long-term future of EU students and workers yet to be fully resolved.
So, whilst students from the EU or the EEA who are residing in Scotland and the rest of the UK can currently benefit from a free and subsidised education in some instances (and will continue to do so throughout 2019/20), this could change markedly depending on how the UK ultimately exits the European Union.
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Regardless of where you herald from, however, Scotland remains a great place of graduates to earn their qualifications and find a job once they’ve completed their course of higher education. But why is this the case?
Scottish Cities are Amongst the Top 10 Places to Work in the UK
In November 2018, it was revealed that Edinburgh and Aberdeen were amongst the top 10 places to live and work in the whole of the UK.
This will have piqued the attention of graduates, who must balance a number of factors including affordability and the likelihood of them finding work after completing their studies.
Whilst the Scottish capital of Edinburgh may have slipped from fourth to sixth on the previous years’ figures, housing affordability remains far better than in some of the leading UK cities.
At the same time, Edinburgh is renowned as a land of opportunity for graduates, with a thriving employment market and various graduate schemes in place citywide.
Take the Heriot-Watt University’s graduate apprenticeships initiative, for example, which is one of the largest of its kind in the UK and is poised to welcome a record number of candidates (in excess of 158) in 2019. This scheme is incredible diverse too,with a strong focus on practical skills and brands such as Amazon, Bosch, Mitsubishi and the Royal Bank of Scotland all participating.
Affordable Living and Residential Costs for Graduates
In the case of Aberdeen, this understated city also climbed from 11 to nine in the rankings, and this is also emerging as a viable location for graduates.
Both of these cities have various things in common, including generally affordable living costs that can help graduates to live comfortably whilst they start their career and gradually increase their income.
Tuition fees are also cheaper in Scotland, with students paying an average of £9,000 per year during their higher education course. This means that those who have studied and settled in Scotland will have already made considerable savings, whilst their financial situation is then improved further by average living costs of between £700 and £1,100 per calendar month.
This also creates additional disposable income for graduates as they enter the world of work, enabling them to invest in important products such as tenants liability insurance from Homelet.
These are important but often overlooked considerations, and there’s little doubt that Scotland remains a viable destination for graduates in the modern age.
