AQW 462/22-27 Written question to the Minister for the Economy
To ask the Minister for the Economy for a breakdown of the drop-out rate for first year students at all universities in Northern Ireland in (i) 2019/2020; (ii) 2020/2021; and (iii) 2021/2022.
Asked by Kellie Armstrong MLA on 24 May 2022
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 24 May 2022
- Answer due by
- 10 June 2022
- Answered
- 9 June 202216 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for the Economy
- Priority question
- No
Answer
My Department does not routinely collect information on drop-out rates for first-year higher education students. Instead, this is collected and published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on its website: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation
The latest available HESA data is for the 2020/21 academic year. However, data regarding non-continuation rates can only be determined the following academic year and, as such, the most recent non-continuation rates available are for first degree entrants during the 2019/2020 academic year.
For ease of reference, Table A below shows non-continuation following year of entry of UK domiciled full-time first-degree entrants at NI Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 2017/18 to 2019/20.
Table B shows the information for part-time first-degree entrants at NI HEIs from 2016/17 to 2018/19. These are supplied separately, as the full-time rates are based on dropouts after one year and the part-time rates are based on dropouts after 2 years.
TABLE A - UK domiciled full-time first-degree entrants at NI HEIs - 2017/18 to 2019/20
| Percentage no longer in HE one year after entry | |||
| 2019/20 | 2018/19 | 2017/18 | |
| Institution | year of entry | year of entry | year of entry |
| Queen's University Belfast | 3.3% | 4.9% | 4.9% |
| St Mary's University College | 3.9% | 1.2% | 4.4% |
| Stranmillis University College | 6.1% | 5.8% | 2.4% |
| Ulster University | 4.9% | 6.6% | 9.3% |
| Total Northern Ireland | 4.2% | 5.7% | 7.1% |
TABLE B - UK domiciled part-time first-degree entrants at NI HEIs - 2016/17 to 2018/19
| Percentage no longer in HE two years after entry | |||
| 2018/19 | 2017/18 | 2016/17 | |
| Institution | year of entry | year of entry | year of entry |
| Queen's University Belfast | 14.6% | 14.3% | 32.0% |
| The Open University in Northern Ireland | 30.3% | 33.4% | 42.2% |
| Stranmillis University College | 7.7% | 3.4% | 9.1% |
| Ulster University | 21.4% | 21.7% | 24.4% |
| Total Northern Ireland | 25.4% | 26.9% | 32.5% |