Private School Graduates Earn More Money

According to the BBC, private school graduates earn significantly more money than their state educated peers.

A recent study by the UK Institute for Fiscal Studies found that privately educated students are more likely to choose elite universities and subjects which earn significantly higher salaries.

Researchers gathered data from over 200,000 UK undergraduate students in 2007, then compared wages six months and three and a half years after graduation.

Three and a half years after graduation, those who had attended private school were earning on average 4,500 pounds more than those who went to state schools.

Dr Claire Crawford, one of the authors of the report and assistant professor of economics at the University of Warwick and research fellow at the IFS, said: "Education is often regarded as a route to social mobility."

"But our research shows that, even amongst those who succeed in obtaining a degree, family background - and in particular the type of school they went to - continues to influence their success in the work place."

"These results suggest that there is a pressing need to understand why private schooling confers such an advantage in the labour market, even amongst similarly achieving graduates, and why higher education does not appear to be the leveller it was hoped to be."

An earlier study by the Social Market Foundation published in the summer found that UK children who are privately educated are likely to earn approximately £200,000 more between the ages of 26 and 42 than those who attended state schools.