The Sunday Times’ Leaf Arbuthnot cites findings from our Earning by Degrees report.

Cambridge occupies an exalted place in the national imagination. For many now studying for their A-levels, getting into Britain’s top university is held up as the ultimate goal — a golden ticket to a better life.

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According to a report last year by the education charity the Sutton Trust, Oxbridge graduates are expected to earn an average of nearly £1.8m over their lifetimes. That compares with almost £1.6m for those of other Russell Group universities — the top 24 in the UK. Graduates of non-Russell Group institutions are likely to pocket less than £1.4m.

The average starting salary for a male Cambridge first- degree graduate last year was £29,858, compared with a national average of £22,500. For females it was £24,409, nearly £4,000 more than the national average for women.

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Read the full article here.