£27,000 for a design degree-what will happen to the future of design?

[Dave L]

I think you are doing what alot of people have done and have misunderstood what's happening. The government are allowing unis to set their own fees, it doesn't mean that all fees will increase to the top limit. The likelyhood is that the elitist universities such as Oxford and Cambridge will bump their fees to that limit whilst the rest of the further education establishments will increase theirs by a couple of grand a year over the next couple of years.

You need to factor in that direct funding for university budgets is being slashed and that the £9000 limit is where it is to enable institutions to make up the shortfall. Expect, therefore, that those charging the higher end fees will be the ones providing a better experience and the rest will fall into line over time: there will be no worthwhile 'cheap' option.

That said, the design demographic won't change much: supply will still outstrip demand as, as we know, you don't need qualifications or a properly tutored skillset to launch yourself as a designer.

[konvicted]

To be honest you don't really need any sort of degrees in graphic design. It's all about the experiance. Most employers or clients would look for experiance rather than qualifications and degrees. Although it's a good thing to have, it's not nessassary.