New study finds course non-completion rates are highest for students from Carlow
New reasearch by the Higher Education Authority
A new study by the Higher Education Authority has found that course non-completion rates are highest for students from counties Carlow (33%), Sligo (29%) Meath (29%) and Donegal (28%).
The HEA's "Analysis of Completion in Irish Higher Education" covers a period from 2007/08 to 2016, to allow for students who switched courses within the same college, or took time out, and the outcomes compare well internationally.
Areas of concern include the national statistic that 62% of entrants to Level 7/6 courses (higher certificate/ordinary degree) in Institutes of Technology graduate.
The report from the HEA also found that females had significantly higher completion of third-level courses than males. And first year is key – with almost two thirds of those who don't graduate dropping out at that stage.