University dropout rate on the rise, data suggest

Figures reveal slow rise in percentage of students expected to leave university without graduating

There has been a slight rise in the proportion of students expected to drop out of university before they finish their degrees, data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show.

Among full-time, first-degree students who began their studies in the 2018-19 academic year, 11.1 per cent are expected to leave university without completing a degree, or transferring to another university.