Around 85% of students say a part-time job is vital for extra cash during their higher education, according to a survey by graduate recruitment website Milkround.com.

The survey found that 52% of students work regularly all year round, 23% said they got a job in the holidays and 10% fitted employment into their lives irregularly.

It found that 7% work only when they needed money and 5% enjoyed the luxury of relying on other forms of funding for their studies.

The survey found that 14% of students get paid at least £10,400 a year, a majority of a third of students earn between £50 and £100 on average a week, but 25% bring home £100 to £150 and 19% earn up to £200.

Milkround.com spokesman Mike Barnard says: “The burden of financial worries clearly ranks high on students minds: they need to be earning to make ends meet at university. If the trend of increasing the costs of university study continues, the danger is students may have to earn even more leading to less time studying. The experiences of a part time job can be valuable when they graduate along with the money, but this should not be taking priority over a good degree.”