Fall in student drop-out rates

Drop-out rates at UK universities fell for the second year running, according to figures published today by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

At 14% for 2002/03, compared with 16% two years earlier, the downward trend was welcomed by the higher education minister, Kim Howells, but is being treated cautiously in the sector because of changes to the way the figures are compiled compared to previous years.

The calculation is based on projections of the number of students who will finish courses at each institution or transfer to another university.

The overall figure looks good internationally - and is far better than completion rates in the US - but hides wide variations between institutions. The worst university in the UK for drop-outs is Napier, in Edinburgh, where 37% of students are predicted not to complete their degree courses. It is closely followed by Bolton Institute, which has just been granted university status, and Abertay in Dundee. London Metropolitan also loses a comparatively high proportion of students, but the merger with London Guildhall has pulled up the University of North London, which was last year rested at the bottom of the table.

A spokesman for Napier University said: "As a university committed to widening participation, Napier continues to score above the Scottish average in attracting young full-time undergraduate entrants from all measurable groups, ie state schools/colleges, social classes four to seven and low participation neighbourhoods. For example, our proportion of students from state schools/colleges rose from 92% in 2001/02 to 95.9% in 2002/03.

"However, retaining these students through to completion is equally important and the university is working hard to provide the support systems that will increase our proportion of students leaving with a degree."

At Cambridge the drop-out rate is only 1% and institutions like Oxford, Durham and Bristol, which can cherry pick high achieving students - a majority from well-off homes - have very little problem with students failing to complete the course.

Heads of new universities argue their institutions are more willing to take risks with students from poor families, mature students and those without traditional qualifications, and complain bitterly that they are penalised for widening access as the government demands.

The funding councils recognise that institutions are different and set benchmarks that take into account differing student intakes. But Napier, for instance, fell well short of its benchmark of 18.7%.


Projected percentage drop-out rates 2002/3
Napier University37.0
Bolton Institute of Higher Education35.8
University of Abertay Dundee30.3
London Metropolitan University 28.1
The University of East London28.0
The University of Sunderland26.9
Middlesex University26.8
The North-East Wales Institute of Higher Education26.8
The University of Central Lancashire26.0
University College Northampton25.4