More to university drop-outs than meets the eye

October 02, 2012

University drop-out or attrition rates may be more strongly linked to the types of students a university enrols than the educational experience it provides, according to The Good Universities Guide 2013.

Careful comparison between DEEWR attrition data and the latest edition of the Guide suggests that universities with attrition rates above the national average often admit a high proportion of non-traditional students, including low socioeconomic status students, students from rural and isolated areas, and students other than top-scoring school leavers.
The top ‘Access by Equity Groups’ and ‘Entry Flexibility’ ratings received by universities with higher attrition rates indicate that their student cohort may be a key factor influencing attrition rates.

The Guide also suggests that students are not dropping out because they are dissatisfied with their educational experience, with a number of universities with higher attrition rates receiving top ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Overall Satisfaction’ ratings from their graduates.

Edith Cowan University is one of a number of universities that fit this pattern, with an attrition rate above the national average and a five-star rating in the Guide for the high proportion of students it admits through flexible entry schemes. ECU Vice-Chancellor Kerry Cox believes that the obstacles faced by the university’s diverse range of students outside their studies may be one factor influencing the university’s attrition rates.

‘In my experience, there is no one factor to account for attrition. Rather it is a range of factors, such as background or balancing study with work, which, when combined, may cause a student to leave university. We are proud of ECU’s flexible entry pathways, which enable students from diverse backgrounds to study at university,’ Professor Cox said.
The University of Southern Queensland’s strong ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Overall Satisfaction’ ratings indicate that its above-average attrition rates may have more to do with its student cohort than graduates not enjoying their experience at university. USQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas said that two-thirds of the university’s cohort consists of mature age students studying part time by distance education, many of whom are balancing work with study.

‘Exit surveys of students indicate that a very significant amount of USQ’s attrition can be attributed to life issues for the students concerned, over which USQ has little, if any, control,’ Professor Thomas said.

With increased numbers of ‘at risk’ students accessing university through the new demand-driven system, many universities are introducing programs to ease these students into study and decrease their risk of leaving university. For instance, the University of New England’s ‘Automated Wellness Engine’ and ‘Early Alert at UNE’ schemes use analytics to identify students who may require additional support, allowing staff members to personally reach out and offer them assistance.

On the other hand, the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney, which boasted some of the lowest attrition rates in the country, earned one-star ratings for ‘Access by Equity Groups’ and five-star ratings for ‘Student Demand’, indicating that their cohort is made up of a high proportion of top ATAR scorers and fewer students from equity groups.
Melbourne and Sydney also earned one-star ratings from their graduates for ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Overall Satisfaction’, indicating that their high-achieving student cohorts tend to complete their degrees despite many reporting a poor educational experience. Again this suggests that student attrition rates are more closely linked to a university’s student cohort than the educational experience it provides.

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