UK graduate paid nearly $13,000 a year for a content creation degree, and says it paid off

For some, the idea of paying thousands of dollars per year to study content creation still seems like a steep price, even with the industry adding billions of dollars to economies.

Destiny McGowan, a 21-year-old graduate in the U.K., says her university degree in content creation was worth it. To prove her point, she told the BBC the skills and contacts she made are already helping her bring in income.

Here's what to know

The degree McGowan completed at Nottingham Trent University in July combined creative work for social platforms with lessons on the business side of online media, according to the BBC. She said the training has already helped her start earning money through fashion posts, video work for other people, and TikTok live selling. 

The program covered making videos for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Other topics include audience growth and ways to monetize content.

For McGowan, the course was also a route toward entrepreneurship.

"I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, so for me the course was about the transferable skills that I believed I would gain," McGowan said.

For students weighing similar programs, the cost can be a significant amount of money. U.K. students currently pay £9,790 per year (about $12,900 currently) at both Nottingham Trent and the University of Brighton for comparable three-year degrees. Arizona State University lists standard annual resident tuition of $14,724 for a similar program.

That price tag has helped fuel debate over whether formal education in content creation is a worthwhile investment or whether the same skills can be learned online for free or low cost.

More background

One report published in 2025 said YouTube creators alone contributed £2.2 billion to the U.K. economy.

Skepticism remains about whether a degree is needed to enter the field. 

Knightenator, a U.K.-based full-time content creator, told the BBC, "Honestly, from my experience, I don't think companies would care too much if you had a content creator degree."

She continued, "If you have the drive to want to become a content creator, the tips are out there, and you don't need to commit to a three-year degree."

Others see clear value in a formal pathway. Arizona content creator Aiesha Beasley said she would have enrolled in a course like this if it had existed when she started blogging on Tumblr. She said a structured program could have offered a "clearer pathway," especially when it came to making a living.

What's being done?

Universities are expanding into dedicated content-creation programs as interest grows in training that covers both creative production and the commercial side of online media. Nottingham Trent launched its content creation degree in 2022, and similar courses are now offered at several schools in the U.K. and the U.S.

In terms of non-entrepreneurial pathways, the value of a degree also rests on company policy and hiring managers. If an HR department wants to see a degree, that could make the investment worth it.

Jacky Gurr, course leader and senior lecturer for content creation at Nottingham Trent University, said these degrees are not designed solely for aspiring influencers. Many students, Gurr said, are preparing for in-house brand positions, agency roles, freelance client work, or their own businesses.

"Students learn how to plan and produce video content, develop campaigns, understand audiences, analyse performance data and adapt strategies based on that data," Gurr said.

Gurr also, however, acknowledged, "So much of being a successful influencer is about luck, and we can't teach luck or personality."

Where can I learn more?

Many people are wondering what skills are worth learning now as the job market changes.

• At one university, a degree focused on climate justice is preparing students for urgent careers.

• At Google, tons of recent hires are landing jobs without college degrees.

• In the AI sector, Fei-Fei Li said college degrees matter less now.

• At ByteDance, engineers unveiled a new AI video tool that could reshape content production.

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