New retention rating reveals low-ATAR students can be retained

August 27, 2013

A low-ATAR student cohort is no excuse for poor student retention, according to The Good Universities Guide 2014.

The list of universities that achieved strong results in the Guide’s ‘Student Retention’ rating, which is the first of its kind in Australia, included some that had a cohort with a higher proportion of high-ATAR students and others that had a higher proportion of low-ATAR students.

The results are surprising, given that low-ATAR students are often deemed to be less prepared for the challenges of university and therefore at a higher risk of dropping out.

Charles Sturt University, Deakin University, the University of Ballarat and the University of Canberra all achieved ‘Student Retention’ ratings of four or five stars despite enrolling a higher proportion of low-ATAR students, proving that it is possible to admit an academically diverse range of students and still achieve above-average retention rates.

This begs the question: If some universities that are enrolling higher proportions of low-ATAR students are able to achieve rates of retention that are above the national average, is it acceptable for any university to have poor retention rates?

The Good Universities Guide’s data manager Ross White said that the key message that can be extracted from these findings is that universities should be held accountable for retaining the types of students they target.

“Universities that are open to students with lower ATARs cannot be excused for poor retention on the grounds of student cohort — we now have proof that universities with low-ATAR cohorts are capable of achieving excellent rates of retention, placing the onus on the universities themselves,” Mr White said.

“Universities should be striving to set a standard for retaining students, especially those that enrol students who need additional levels of support in their first year of study.”

The introduction of the demand-driven funding system has enabled more students to access university, with the deregulation leading many universities to widen their entry criteria and admit students with lower ATARs.

As a high-rating university for retention with a high-ATAR student cohort, the University of New South Wales is performing as expected, which Vice-Chancellor Fred Hilmer attributes partly to the high-achieving student cohort that the university attracts and partly to its pathway programs and the support offered to students once enrolled.

“I’m pleased to see the introduction this year of the student retention rating in the Guide, as I believe retention is a factor too often overlooked when judging how well universities are serving their students,” Professor Hilmer said.

“In particular, any endeavour to expand opportunity for disadvantaged students must take into account not just access to university, but the prospects for success.”

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