University Drop-out Rate

HC Deb 15 October 2003 vol 411 cc254-5W

Mr. David Amess

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the drop-out rate was at universities in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [130377]

Alan Johnson

The latest available figures giving non-completion rates for students starting full-time first degree courses in England and in Wales are as follows:

Non-completion for students starting full-time first degree courses in England and Wales
Students starting courses in:	Non completion rate(%)1
	England	Wales
1999–2000	16	15
1998–99	16	14
1997–98	16	16

Source:

HEFCE Performance Indicators

¹ Non-completion is regarded as those who do not gain a qualification from their original course or from any other course and do not transfer to another institution.

Figures published in 2003 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that the UK as a whole has one of the lowest non-completion rates among OECD countries.