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A university education is an investment that opens doors to better jobs, higher income and a brighter future.

Demand for university graduates is on the rise

• 2 out of 3 new jobs require postsecondary education.1 University graduates have career skills that are adaptable and in demand.
• In the last 20 years, 87% of new jobs created in professional and management occupations were filled by university graduates.2
• From 2004 to 2010, employment growth for university graduates outpaced all other levels of education: jobs grew by 28% for those with a university degree, 17% for those with a college diploma, and only 4% for those with a high school education.3

A university education pays off

• Ontario university graduates earn approximately 32% more annually than those with a college certificate or diploma, and 53% more than those with no postsecondary education.4
• With substantially higher career earnings, university graduates achieve a significant return on the investment they make in their education.

University graduates get jobs

• Ontario university graduates find jobs quickly – 93.6% are employed within six months of graduation.5
• University graduates are more likely to be employed in any economic climate. In 2009, they had the lowest overall rate of unemployment.6

An investment worth making

• 46% of university undergraduates graduate debt-free.7 For 2009-10 university graduates who received OSAP loans, their average repayable amount was about $21,000, a small percentage of what they will earn over their lifetime.8
• Most students see the value in investing in their education, as many are able to find good jobs shortly after graduation that enable them to repay their loans. In 2009, only 4% of university students defaulted on their OSAP loans, compared to 11% of college students.9
• New research suggests that parents’ level of education and sociocultural influences are stronger factors in a student’s decision to go to college or university than financial factors or the cost of tuition.10
• Along with higher income and employability, research suggests that university graduates tend to be healthier, live longer and are more active citizens.

Jennifer Grass
Senior Director, Communications & Public Affairs
Council of Ontario Universities
416-979-2165 extension 261
Email Jennifer Grass

Published June 2011

1. Bergeron L.P., Dunn K., Lapointe M., Roth W., & Tremblay-Côté N., Looking Ahead: A 10-Year Outlook for the Canadian Labour Market 2006-2015. Human Resources and Social Development Canada, Strategic Policy Research Directorate. SP-615-10-06-E (Ottawa 2006) 2.

2. Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), Value of a Degree in Canada’s Labour Market. http://www.aucc.ca/publications/auccpubs/value-of-a-degree/incanadas-labour-market_e.html

3. AUCC, Trends in Higher Education, Volume 1 – Enrolment (2011) 34

4. AUCC, based on Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey; average annual earnings.

5. Council of Ontario Universities, Survey of 2007 Graduates from Ontario University Undergraduate Programs.

6. Statistics Canada, Labour force characteristics by immigrant status of population aged 25 to 54, and by educational attainment, 2009.

7. National Graduates Survey, class of 2005; all education-related loans. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090422/dq090422a-eng.htm

8. Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Student Financial Assistance Branch.

9. Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario Student Loan Recipients and Defaults for Ontario Universities, 2009 and 2008. https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/PlanYourEducation/ChooseaCareerSchoolProgram/PRD003050.html

10. Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, Access to Postsecondary Education: How Ontario Compares (Toronto 2011).