The government has said it wants there to be a cap on the number of students who study so-called “rip-off” university degrees.

The limits will be imposed on courses that have high dropout rates or a low proportion of graduates getting a professional job.

Under the measures, the maximum fee that can be charged for classroom-based foundation year courses will also be reduced to £5,760 – down from £9,250.

The plans, announced by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, are part of the government’s response to the Augar review, established by Theresa May back in 2017.

Among the report’s recommendations – which also included cutting tuition fees and more funding for further education – was an aim to reduce the number of “low value” courses leaving students with poor job prospects.

Under the plans, the Office for Students (OfS) will be asked to limit the number of students universities can recruit to courses that are seen to fail to deliver good outcomes for graduates.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world and studying for a degree can be immensely rewarding.

“But too many young people are being sold a false dream and end up doing a poor quality course at the taxpayers’ expense that doesn’t offer the prospect of a decent job at the end of it.

“That is why we are taking action to crack down on rip-off university courses, while boosting skills training and apprenticeships provision.

“This will help more young people to choose the path that is right to help them reach their potential and grow our economy.”

The government is yet to specify what courses it is defining as “low value” and which will have student numbers limited by the Office for Students.

Figures released on 6 July by the longitudinal educational outcomes (LEO) database – which connects education data with employment data – suggested which subjects had the highest and lowest employment rates and salaries in the tax year 2020-2021.

Out of the higher education institutions (HEIs) analysed, first degree graduates in languages and area studies, and creative arts and design, had the lowest median proportions in sustained employment, further study or both.

Meanwhile, graduates in nursing and midwifery, and medicine and dentistry, had the highest median proportions.

Further data from the LEO suggested that five years after graduation from HEIs in the UK, medicine and dentistry had a median graduate earning of £52,900, whereas performing arts stood at £21,200.

These findings echo those recommended by the Augar review, which found that male graduates in creative arts, English and philosophy earn less in comparison to peers who did not complete a degree.

It is important to note that some subjects showed wider variations in earnings – for example, computing had a difference of £61,900 between its highest and lowest earners.

This is likely down to the availability of the labour market, and the use of standardised salaries in some sectors, the LEO reported.

Despite suggestions from the data, education minister Robert Halfon denied that the government’s cap is an attack on arts and humanities courses.

“We’re not saying that particular arts courses are going to have limits,” he said when speaking on Times Radio on Monday.

“It may be that in some universities there are arts courses that are leading to good jobs.

“It’s only courses in universities, whatever those courses may be, that lead to poor outcomes – whether that’s continuation, completion of courses or not getting good, skilled jobs at the end – those courses will be the focus of recruitment limits by the Office for Students.”

Data released back in March 2019 by the Higher Education Statistics Agency revealed the degrees with the highest non-continuation rate among first degree entrants at UK HEIs.

It suggested that the five highest courses for non-continuation rates included: computer science – 9.8%; business & administrative studies – 7.4%; engineering & technology – 7.2%; mass communications & documentation – 7.2%; and creative arts & design – 7.2%.

In comparison, medicine and dentistry and veterinary science students had the lowest non-continuation rate at 1.5%.

The term non-continuation is defined as a student not having obtained the qualification they were originally aiming for. This does not take course changes into account, or students who leave within the first 50 days of the course commencement.

But opposition MPs said the measures amounted to a “cap on aspiration” that will restrict choice for young people.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the plans were “simply an attack on the aspirations of young people and their families by a government that wants to reinforce the class ceiling, not smash it”.

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Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, accused the prime minister of being “so out of ideas that he’s dug up a new version of a policy the Conservatives have announced and then unannounced twice over”.

She added: “Universities don’t want this. It’s a cap on aspiration, making it harder for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to go on to further study.”

But Sir Philip Augar, the former chair of the Post-18 Education and Funding Review, welcomed the policy.

He told Sky News that while the OfS already has the power to issue fines and regulations on universities and courses that underperform, the plan announced today “puts a bit of teeth into it and it means that they can actually restrict the numbers recruited onto those courses”.

He added: “I’m hoping that there’s a kind of a constructive look at this and that it’s a stick that’s out here that never actually has to be used.”

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Susan Lapworth, the chief executive of OfS, said: “Students from all backgrounds are entitled to expect high-quality teaching on courses that lead to successful outcomes after graduation.

“We know that many universities and colleges consistently deliver that for their students.

“But where that’s not the case it’s important that the OfS, as the independent regulator of higher education in England, can intervene to protect the interests of students and taxpayers.

“We look forward to continuing our work on these important issues.”

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