Over half of the first graduates paying £9,000 a year think they did not get value for money

One in 20 meanwhile said if they had their time over again they would not have gone to university, according to a new survey

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More than half the class of 2015 - the first to graduate under the £9,000 a year fees regime - believe they failed to get value for money from their courses, according to a new survey.

It showed 56 per cent of 665 students who re-lied to it felt their courses did noy give value for money. One in 20 said - if they had their time over again - they would not have gone to university.

More than half (55 per cent) predicted they would not fully repay the loans. At present, they only have to repay once they are earing £21,000 a year and any outstanding debt is written off after 30 years.

The survey, Debt in the first degree, was carried out by the National Union of Students. A similar survey just before the introduction of top-up fees by Labour of £3,000 a year a decade ago showed one in three students saying they would think again about going to university even if fees rose to £2,000 a year.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pointed out that the annual Nation Student Survey showed an 86 per cent satisfaction rating from a wider base of students. A spokeswoman added: “It is a priority for this Government to ensure all students continue to get the high quality experience they deserve.”

Meanwhile, recruitment figures published by major accountancy firm PwC reveal a record 41,000 have applied to join its student programmes - with the numbers opting for its graduate programme rising 15 per cent to 23,000. PwC announced earlier this year it was scrapping the use of the UCAS point score system as an entry criteria.

By attracting students who did not achieve the normally required A-level grades, it said it had opened its doors to students from a wider range of backgrounds.