A new report has warned that rising levels of debt among some students could make their degrees 'worthless'.
The National Union of Students (NUS) found that students now face debts of as much as £37,000 when they graduate.
It was also found that the increase in lifetime earnings associated with some courses - such as arts and humanities - will not be large enough to offset the interest payments on the borrowing.
According to the report, the levels of debt some future graduates are facing have only "been associated with home ownership" in the past.
"Like home ownership, we are expected to take it on willingly because it represents an investment, the authors explained.
"Under a mortgage, however, it is a certainty that one will eventually own the home outright, provided one is able to keep up one's repayments. The parallel does not apply to an educational process."
Interestingly, the report highlighted the fact that people opting for subjects such as engineering, business and finance were most likely to see long-term benefits from attending university.
These are the people most likely to end up on graduate recruitment schemes and could see a lifetime income between £200,000 and £350,000 higher than someone who left education after completing A-levels.
