Abstract
Dropping out of university has serious consequences not only for the student who drops out but also for the institution and society as a whole. Although this phenomenon has been widely studied, there is a need for broader knowledge of the context in which it occurs. Yet research on the subject often focuses on variables that, although they affect drop-out rates, lie beyond a university’s control. This makes it hard to come up with effective preventive measures. That is why a northern Spanish university has undertaken a ex post facto holistic research study on 1,311 freshmen (2008/9, 2009/10, and 2010/11 cohorts). The study falls within the framework of the ALFA-GUIA European Project and focuses on those drop-out factors where there is scope for taking remedial measures. This research explored the possible relationship of degree drop-out and different categories of variables: variables related to the educational stage prior to university entry (path to entry university and main reason for degree choice), variables related to integration and coexistence at university (social integration, academic integration, relationships with teachers/peers and value of the living environment) financial status and performance during university studies (in terms of compliance with the program, time devoted to study, use of study techniques and class attendance). Descriptive, correlational and variance analyses were conducted to discover which of these variables really distinguish those students who drop-out from their peers who complete their studies. Results highlight the influence of vocation as main reason for degree choice, path to university entry, financial independency, social and academic adaptation, time devoted to study, use of study techniques and program compliance in the studied phenomenon.
Highlights
Dropping out of higher education is a global phenomenon and it affects virtually all universities (UNESCO, 2004)
That is why higher education institutions have researched the kinds of dropouts, their causes and consequences ever since the early 20th century, and in particular since the 1970s
For practical reasons most studies focus on internal dropouts and institutional drop-outs
Summary
Dropping out of higher education is a global phenomenon and it affects virtually all universities (UNESCO, 2004). University Drop-out and Persistence way on the phenomenon tends to focus on initial or early voluntary drop-out (that is to say, during the first year of university). That is because this is when most drop-outs tend to occur (Castaño et al, 2004; Willcoxson, 2010; Belloc et al, 2011). For practical reasons most studies focus on internal dropouts (or change of degree) and institutional drop-outs (where students leave the university concerned but do not necessarily stop studying, whether at a university or other institution).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
