That's how much more a bachelor's degree is worth
A bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences (UAS) is extremely worthwhile for commercial graduates. According to the study, UAS graduates earn around CHF 1.2 million more during their professional career than employees with only a commercial diploma. This is the result of a study based on a bachelor's thesis entitled "Returns to education of Swiss UAS degrees - an empirical analysis of business and services courses of study".
Students who complete a bachelor's degree in business administration at a university of applied sciences generate a cumulative gross lifetime income that is around 1.2 million francs higher than students who complete a commercial degree without a bachelor's degree. This is shown in the study "Returns to education from Swiss UAS degrees - an empirical analysis of business and services degree programs" by Sarah Nieberle, Urs Dürsteler and Toni Schmid, which builds on the bachelor thesis of HWZ graduate Sarah Nieberle.
Significant return on education thanks to FH Bachelor's degree
The results were determined using five comprehensive calculation models. For example, the gross annual income was calculated, which is 58.2 percent higher with a bachelor's degree from a university of applied sciences than with only a commercial degree. The gross return on education over a lifetime was also calculated. This is around CHF 1.2 million. Based on the entire working life, this is 46.5 percent more income for Bachelor's graduates than for KV graduates without a Bachelor's degree.
First-time calculations for the business and services degree programs
The study assumes that students start a bachelor's degree program two years after completing their apprenticeship. The program then lasts three years for full-time students or four years for part-time students. The average workload alongside the studies is 55 percent. Possible real wage development was not taken into account, as this is not significantly relevant in a total time frame of 45 years.
The figures on which the study is based were provided by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office and the FH Switzerland wage study. The publication by Nieberle/Dürsteler/Schmid is the first empirical preparation of returns to education for UAS degrees in business and services and shows that a bachelor's degree at a UAS can be a worthwhile investment in the future for commercial school graduates.
Source: HWZ
The study is available as a book in the Haupt Publishing House (ISBN: 978-3-258-08012-3) and can be purchased in the publisher's online store at a price of Fr. 29.
