Graduation capIf you’re considering furthering your education in a prestigious university overseas, you might need to evaluate whether or not returns on investment would be worth the struggle.
New research by UK’s Edumentors made a comparison between the cost of pursuing a degree in some of the world’s top universities versus what the students get in return in terms of salary and found the cost-to-earnings gap to be too large.
The survey revealed insights about the cost of elite education and its impact on graduate success.
“The study examines data from prestigious universities across the globe. Researchers evaluated the tuition and living costs to employment rates and starting salaries—painting a clearer picture of what students pay for and what they receive in return.”
The University of Oxford (ranked 2 globally), the study found, charges an average $49,000 (Sh6.32m) tuition fee while the cost of living averages $21,381(Sh2.7m), bringing the overall cost of study to $70,381 (Sh9m).
Whereas there’s 100 per cent guarantee that graduates will find jobs after graduation, the survey found a starting salary to be just $37,400 (Sh4.8m) per annum.
“The cost-to-salary ratio suggests that students may not see immediate financial returns on their investment,” the survey notes.
“With tuition fees reaching $68,000, Columbia University has one of the highest overall costs at $97,003. While 99.9 per cent of graduates find employment, the starting salary of $55,190 makes it a less-than-ideal financial decision for students seeking strong returns,” it adds.
The survey found that studying at the University of Cambridge (ranked 5th by World University Rankings 2025) would set you back $62,400 but with a 10 per cent employment rate however, returns on the hefty investment are modest—$37,300 (Sh4.8m) per year.
“While the historic institution's centuries-old tradition of academic excellence continues to attract top talent from around the globe, the initial post-graduation earnings might require graduates to plan their financial future,” the report says.
In their comment on the study, a spokesperson from Edumentors said UK universities are expensive, but they deliver strong career outcomes.
“However, don't just chase prestigious names and rankings. Instead, focus on finding a university that specifically matches your career goals—whether that's through their industry connections, specialised programmes, or teaching approach. This careful matching is what makes the high cost worth it in the long run."
Closer home in Qatar, the survey found that Qatar University (ranked 122 globally in 2025) stands out for its relatively lower total cost of $25,100 (Sh2.5m) but delivers a concerning return with starting salaries of just $16,000 (Sh2m) even with a 98.6 per cent employment rate.
The survey findings should, however, not serve to dampen anyone’s ambition of studying abroad considering most universities, organizations and foreign governments offer scholarships to Kenyan students.
They include the Aga Khan Foundation, Yale Young African Scholars, and the UK government.
Aga Khan Foundation offers scholarships to students from developing countries to pursue higher education abroad while Yale Young African Scholars offers partial scholarships to Kenyan students from vulnerable backgrounds.
UK government scholarships include the Chevening Scholarships, which offer fully funded master's degrees in the UK.
GREAT Scholarships also offers scholarships to UK universities for students from 18 countries as well as DAAD, which offers scholarships to Kenyan citizens, including some for students pursuing a degree in Germany.
DAAD offers a broad spectrum of scholarships, supporting undergraduates, graduates, PhD candidates, and those interested in language courses and more.
As of 2024, DAAD was managing 86 distinct scholarship programmes, each with its own specific application and procedural requirements.
The competitive, merit-based scholarships provide full funding to cover living expenses for Kenyans studying in Germany.
Interested students can visit https://www.daad-kenya.org/en/ for details.
