What are the benefits of studying at a university?

In general, it’s easier to find a job if you have a university degree. You can also benefit in areas like salary and personal development.

It’s hard to say if you’ll make more money if you decide to pursue university studies as there are many other factors at play. Some jobs require quite a few years of study, but don’t offer a high salary. Looking at the averages, however, it becomes clear that a university education is beneficial.

Average salary

In 2017, the average monthly salary was 33,700 SEK. The average for men was 35,700, while the average for women was 31,700, according to SCB (Statistics Sweden).

In the following table, you can find the average monthly salary for different educational levels. Source: SCB’s statistics for 2017.

Educational level	Women	Men
Pre-upper secondary school, shorter than 9 years	۲۳,۹۰۰	۲۵,۹۰۰
Pre-upper secondary school, 9 (10) years	۲۵,۹۰۰	۲۹,۹۰۰
Upper secondary education, not more than 2 years	۲۸,۲۰۰	۳۲,۴۰۰
Upper secondary education, 3 years	۲۷,۷۰۰	۳۱,۵۰۰
Higher education degree (bachelor’s), less than 3 years	۳۱,۹۰۰	۳۷,۶۰۰
Higher education degree (master’s), 3 years or more	۳۷,۴۰۰	۴۵,۳۰۰
Doctoral degree	۴۹,۳۰۰	۵۴,۹۰۰

Easier to get a job with a university education

Looking at the big picture, it’s easier to get a job if you have a higher education degree. Many careers that require a degree also pay a better salary. This can vary depending on the degree subject, but more doors will be open to you with a degree than without one.

The function ”Hitta och jämför utbildning” – find and compare courses and programmes – can be found at the Swedish version of Studera.nu. You can find out more about the job market for different professions. Ask a guidance counsellor or a friend to help you with the Swedish.

Other factors

There are other reasons other than economic for studying at the higher education level. For example, in addition to facts about a subject you can learn: