Students currently cramming for end-of-year university exams might be tempted to question whether it's all worth it.

Certainly in financial terms it is.

Imagine two people finishing high school this year – one of whom chooses to go to university, while the other opts to move straight into full-time employment.

At first, the university attendees are dining on two-minute noodles while worrying about their accruing student debt. Meanwhile, their former school friends are enjoying the fruits of paid labour.