Economy
Compare two graduates
Two graduates with the same loan can end up with very different repayment outcomes. Pick a preset to see common contrasts, or customise both columns to model your own scenario. Every number recomputes locally as you type.
Quick preset:
A
£
£
£
Lifetime repaid
£187,383
Interest charged
£128,841
Interest repaid
£128,841
Writedown
£21,458
Never fully repays: taxpayer covers £21,458 at the 30-year wipeout.
B
£
£
£
Lifetime repaid
£26,879
Interest charged
£162,865
Interest repaid
£162,865
Writedown
£180,986
Never fully repays: taxpayer covers £180,986 at the 30-year wipeout.
Side-by-side
The same numbers viewed in one table, so the contrast lands.
| Metric | Medical graduate | Arts graduate | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting balance | £80,000 | £45,000 | +£35,000 |
| Lifetime interest chargedWhat the loan accrued over its life | £128,841 | £162,865 | −£34,024 |
| Lifetime repaid (incl. interest)Total taken from your payslip across the plan | £187,383 | £26,879 | +£160,504 |
| of which: interest repaidPure interest you paid (over and above the principal) | £128,841 | £162,865 | −£34,024 |
| Writedown (taxpayer covers)What's left at the wipeout year | £21,458 | £180,986 | −£159,528 |
| Fully repays? | No | No | n/a |
| Effective % paid backPrincipal repaid as % of starting balance | 73% | -302% | +375% |
Outstanding balance over time
How the loan balance evolves year by year. Watch what happens when interest accrues faster than the graduate's repayments: the balance climbs even as they pay.
Year-by-year breakdown
Medical graduate
| Yr | Salary | Interest | Paid | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £35,000 | £4,400 | £693 | £83,707 |
| 2 | £45,000 | £4,604 | £1,593 | £86,717 |
| 4 | £65,000 | £4,895 | £3,393 | £90,494 |
| 6 | £76,875 | £5,015 | £4,462 | £91,730 |
| 8 | £80,767 | £5,068 | £4,812 | £92,396 |
| 10 | £84,856 | £5,087 | £5,180 | £92,389 |
| 12 | £89,151 | £5,065 | £5,567 | £91,598 |
| 14 | £93,665 | £4,998 | £5,973 | £89,892 |
| 16 | £98,406 | £4,876 | £6,400 | £87,128 |
| 18 | £103,388 | £4,691 | £6,848 | £83,142 |
| 20 | £108,622 | £4,435 | £7,319 | £77,749 |
| 22 | £114,121 | £4,095 | £7,814 | £70,743 |
| 24 | £119,899 | £3,661 | £8,334 | £61,889 |
| 26 | £125,969 | £3,118 | £8,881 | £50,926 |
| 28 | £132,346 | £2,451 | £9,455 | £37,559 |
| 30 | £139,046 | £1,643 | £10,058 | £21,458 |
Arts graduate
| Yr | Salary | Interest | Paid | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £22,000 | £2,475 | £0 | £47,475 |
| 2 | £23,500 | £2,611 | £0 | £50,086 |
| 4 | £26,500 | £2,906 | £0 | £55,747 |
| 6 | £28,700 | £3,231 | £126 | £61,855 |
| 8 | £30,153 | £3,579 | £257 | £68,387 |
| 10 | £31,679 | £3,950 | £395 | £75,379 |
| 12 | £33,283 | £4,348 | £539 | £82,868 |
| 14 | £34,968 | £4,775 | £691 | £90,896 |
| 16 | £36,738 | £5,232 | £850 | £99,508 |
| 18 | £38,598 | £5,723 | £1,017 | £108,754 |
| 20 | £40,552 | £6,250 | £1,193 | £118,688 |
| 22 | £42,605 | £6,816 | £1,378 | £129,369 |
| 24 | £44,762 | £7,426 | £1,572 | £140,864 |
| 26 | £47,028 | £8,082 | £1,776 | £153,245 |
| 28 | £49,409 | £8,789 | £1,990 | £166,590 |
| 30 | £51,910 | £9,551 | £2,215 | £180,986 |
Methodology
- Plan 2 model: 9% above £27,295 threshold; interest assumed 5.5% lifetime average (RPI+1.5% sliding scale, current cohort); 30-year write-off.
- Plan 5 model: 9% above £25,000 threshold; interest 3.5% (RPI only, long-run); 40-year write-off.
- Salary trajectory: linear interpolation between yr1 and yr5 inputs; 2.5% nominal growth thereafter.
- Caveats:nominal pounds (not inflation-adjusted); assumes continuous employment; doesn't model voluntary overpayments, parental leave, or migration. Real outcomes vary.