UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that attending university is not a necessity to succeed in life.
In a post on his X account (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, the Conservative Party leader stated, “You don’t have to go to university to succeed in life.”
The controversial statement has since sparked a heated debate on social media.
The 44-year-old’s position stunned many, given his own impressive academic background.
Sunak graduated with a first-class bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Lincoln College, Oxford, and later earned a master’s degree from Stanford University in California as a Fulbright Scholar.
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid reports that British ministers plan to urge the Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator, to limit enrollment in courses that do not lead to “good outcomes.”
Rishi Sunak stressed that while the current system fails many individuals, university remains “the right answer” for others.
University education not necessary for success – UK PM Rishi Sunak
