In the age of top-up fees, choosing the right degree course is more important than ever. Courses that are perceived to offer a clear career path are seeing a significant rise in applications, while some traditional academic subjects are struggling.

The rewards of a degree are extremely variable. The lifetime earnings premium for medical graduates is more than £340,000, compared with just £35,000 for those with an arts degree.

This, coupled with the growing expectations that the £3,145 cap on tuition fees will be lifted after a review, due next year, means that a degree by itself will no longer be a guarantee of much greater wealth and career success.

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