Two in three universities report a surge in students quitting

What a bunch of dropouts! Two in three universities report a surge in students quitting amid concerns over quality of courses and impact of unconditional offers

  • Some universities in the UK have dropout rate of nearly one in seven students
  • 100 of 150 universities and colleges saw an increase in dropouts over five years 
  • Comes amid widespread concerns over the quality of many university courses

Universities should reveal dropout rates on each of their degrees to stem the tide of ‘wasted talent’ quitting courses, the Government has demanded.

Universities minister Chris Skidmore said institutions must not merely focus on ‘getting students through the door’.

The warning came as data shows two-thirds of campuses suffered a surge in students quitting. Some universities now have a dropout rate of nearly one in seven students, amid widespread concerns over the quality of many courses and the impact of unconditional offers.

Of 150 universities and colleges in the UK, 100 saw an increase in the proportion of students dropping out over five years. Less than a third saw student completion levels increase, and only four institutions saw the proportion remain static.

Universities minister Chris Skidmore said institutions must not merely focus on ‘getting students through the door’ (stock image)

In the worst examples, ‘non-completion rates’ have more than trebled. Universities are already under pressure to be more transparent about graduates’ prospects – especially with so-called ‘Mickey Mouse courses’, which leave students saddled with debt and sometimes earning less than peers without degrees.

They have also been criticised for abandoning grade requirements by offering unconditional places in the scramble to secure more students.

Mr Skidmore said yesterday: ‘I want to see each university and, indeed, courses held individually accountable for how many students are successfully obtaining a degree so that we can be transparent and open about where there are real problems. Many universities are doing excellent work to support students, but it’s essential that dropout rates are reduced.

‘We cannot afford to see this level of wasted talent.’

Of 150 universities and colleges in the UK, 100 saw an increase in the proportion of students dropping out over five years (stock image)

Of 150 universities and colleges in the UK, 100 saw an increase in the proportion of students dropping out over five years (stock image)

Iain Mansfield, head of education at the think-tank Policy Exchange, said the statistics were ‘an inevitable consequence of seeking to push ever more people into university, regardless of whether it is right for them’. The data covered dropout rates from 2011/12 – the year before tuition fees in England were trebled to £9,000 – to 2016/17.

Abertay University in Dundee had the largest increase, from 3.5 per cent to 12.1 per cent. In England, Bedfordshire University saw the biggest rise, from 8.3 per cent to 15.2 per cent.

Seven institutions had a rise of more than five percentage points, while 19 had an increase of more than three percentage points.

A spokesman for Universities UK said: ‘It is clear that non-continuation is still an issue and institutions must continue to work to support students to progress and succeed at university.’

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