Increase in university student drop-out rate

Official figures show that two-thirds of universities and colleges have seen an increase in the drop out rates in the five years up until 2016/7.

Wolverhampton University – which has a campus in Telford ­ – and Newman University in Birmingham saw the biggest increases in the West Midlands, both at 3.9 per cent.

Birmingham City University, formerly Birmingham Polytechnic, also saw a 3.5 per cent increase in the drop-out rate. Chester University, which has a campus in Shrewsbury, saw a 2.3 per cent rise in the number of students failing to complete their courses.

At the other end of the scale, Harper Adams University in Newport saw its drop-out rate fall by 1.1 per cent, and Birmingham University also saw a fall. Over the border in Wales, Wrexham Glyndwr University saw a one per cent decrease in the number of students dropping out.

The figures compare drop-out rates from 2011/12 – the year before tuition fees in England were trebled to £9,000 – to 2016/17, the last year for which data is available.

They reveal that 100 institutions, or 67 per cent of the total, saw an increase in the proportion of students dropping out, compared to 46 – or 31 per cent of the total – which saw the drop-out rate fall. The remaining four universities saw the rates remain unchanged.

Progress

The University of Abertay, in Dundee, had the largest increase, with an 8.6 percentage point rise over this five-year period, from 3.5 per cent in 2011/12 to 12.1 per cent in 2016/17.

In England, Bedfordshire University had the biggest increase in non-continuation rates, at 6.9 percentage points, going from 8.3 per cent in 2011/12 to 15.2 per cent in 2016/17.

Staffordshire University saw a two per cent increase in the drop-out rate, while University College Birmingham saw a one per cent increase.

The analysis used annual data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency for 150 universities and colleges, and covered UK full-time undergraduate students who were no longer in higher education the year after they started their course.

A spokesman for vice-chancellors’ group Universities UK said: “Universities are committed to widening access to higher education and ensuring students from all backgrounds can succeed and progress. This includes supporting students to achieve the best outcomes in not only getting into university, but flourishing while they are there.

"Many have specific plans in place to deliver this – for example in England access and participation plans are usually a required commitment for institutions.

“However, it is clear that non-continuation is still an issue and institutions must continue to work to support students.”