The UK compares well internationally

One in seven students at UK universities are predicted to drop out of their courses, but there are wide regional variations.

Just over 1% of students at Cambridge are expected to abandon their studies, while at Napier University, Edinburgh, 37% are believed to leave early.

At 14%, Britain has one of the lowest drop-out rates among developed countries. And the number expected not to finish their degrees has fallen, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

For the 2000 intake, the figure was 15% and for 2001 it was 14.1%, although the statistics agency says changes in the way data was collected makes comparisons difficult.

A spokeswoman for Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said: "Retention rates at UK universities continue to be among the highest in the world, while they continue to work at widening participation."

Among the universities with the lowest predicted drop-out rates for the 2001 intake were many of the oldest institutions, such as Oxford (2.1%), Durham (2.3%) and Nottingham (2.5%).

The best on this score was the Royal Veterinary College, where just 0.9% of students failed to finish their courses.

The statistics are based on a projection by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa).

At 13 institutions, more than a quarter of students are predicted to drop out.

The highest rates were found at new universities including the Bolton Institute of Higher Education (35.8%), University of Abertay, Dundee (30.3%) and London Metropolitan University (28.1%).

Students in Scotland are the most likely to drop out, with a rate of 16.3%, while the figure for Northern Ireland is 12.2%.

Rates for England and Wales are 13.8% and 14.7% respectively.

The table below shows the percentage of students who began full-time courses on 2001 who were no longer in higher education a year later, and the projected final drop-out rate:

Institution	Not in HE	Projected
Napier University	17.7	37.0
Bolton Institute of Higher Education	21.8	35.8
University of Abertay Dundee	13.2	30.3
London Metropolitan University	17.6	28.1
The University of East London	14.8	28.0
The University of Sunderland	14.7	26.9
Middlesex University	15.2	26.8
The North-East Wales Institute of Higher Education	15.6	26.8
The University of Central Lancashire	13.5	26.0
Thames Valley University	15.7	25.4
University College Northampton	11.2	25.4
University of Glamorgan	15.7	25.3
University of Luton	11.8	24.8
The University of Wolverhampton	14.1	23.9
Liverpool Hope University College	15.0	23.7
The University of Greenwich	13.6	22.9
Edinburgh College of Art	12.4	22.3
The University of Lincoln	13.4	22.2
University of Wales College, Newport	13.6	22.1
Liverpool John Moores University	12.2	22.0
Trinity College of Music	11.6	21.6
University of Gloucestershire	12.1	21.5
The University of Huddersfield	12.0	21.3
University of the West of England, Bristol	11.1	21.1
University of Derby	12.3	20.6
University of Surrey, Roehampton	15.5	20.5
London South Bank University	13.0	20.3
The University of Paisley	18.8	20.0
The University of Salford	10.4	20.0
University of Central England in Birmingham	8.8	19.8
Royal Northern College of Music	10.0	19.1
Kingston University	9.4	19.0
The University of Westminster	13.1	19.0
Staffordshire University	11.0	18.5
Swansea Institute of Higher Education	13.1	18.3
University College Worcester	15.0	18.3
Heriot-Watt University	11.4	17.9
Glasgow Caledonian University	13.5	17.7
Edge Hill College of Higher Education	13.6	17.6
The Manchester Metropolitan University	11.8	17.4
The University of Dundee	12.7	17.3
University of Wales College of Medicine	11.0	17.2
Harper Adams University College	16.3	17.0
Anglia Polytechnic University	9.1	16.9
Leeds Metropolitan University	9.1	16.9
Trinity College, Carmarthen	10.4	16.9
Writtle College	11.1	16.9
The Robert Gordon University	11.2	16.5
The School of Oriental and African Studies	15.2	16.5
University of Hertfordshire	9.7	16.3
Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication	14.0	16.1
Newman College of HE	6.1	16.0
University of Ulster	12.6	16.0
Wimbledon School of Art	8.8	15.9
The University of Portsmouth	9.7	15.5
The University of Strathclyde	10.1	15.2
Royal Academy of Music	11.3	15.1
The University of Bradford	11.0	15.1
Kent Institute of Art & Design	10.9	15.0
Coventry University	9.7	14.9
The University of Glasgow	9.0	14.9
Southampton Institute	11.2	14.8
Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh	9.7	14.7
The University of Essex	10.2	14.7
Cumbria Institute of the Arts	10.0	14.6
Chester College of HE	9.9	14.4
Goldsmiths College	8.1	14.4
The University of Sussex	9.3	14.4
Oxford Brookes University	9.2	14.3
Canterbury Christ Church University College	9.9	14.2
Glasgow School of Art	6.9	14.2
St Mary's College	9.2	14.2
Bournemouth University	8.6	14.0
University College Chichester	12.1	14.0
The University of Northumbria at Newcastle	8.4	13.9
The University of St Andrews	4.2	13.9
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff	10.9	13.9
University of Wales, Bangor	8.6	13.8
The University of Brighton	9.2	13.7
Dartington College of Arts	12.3	13.5
The University of Hull	7.9	13.4
The University of Stirling	6.2	13.2
City University	8.7	13.1
The University of Aberdeen	8.6	12.8
The University of Plymouth	7.2	12.6
Sheffield Hallam University	8.8	12.5
The London Institute	7.4	12.5
Bath Spa University College	9.5	12.4
St Martin's College	7.8	12.3
The University of Kent	7.6	12.2
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College	10.6	12.1
Falmouth College of Arts	7.9	11.8
The University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology	5.5	11.8
College of St Mark and St John	8.0	11.4
The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama	8.6	11.2
York St John College	10.2	11.1
King Alfred's College, Winchester	6.7	10.8
The University of Reading	6.8	10.7
Brunel University	6.7	10.6
University of Wales, Swansea	6.8	10.4
Aston University	5.3	10.3
Central School of Speech and Drama	4.0	10.0
The University of Wales, Lampeter	7.5	9.7
The Nottingham Trent University	6.9	9.6
University of Wales, Aberystwyth	6.7	9.5
Queen Mary and Westfield College	8.7	9.4
Norwich School of Art and Design	7.9	9.1
The University of Surrey	7.0	8.8
The Queen's University of Belfast	6.6	8.7
Cranfield University	5.3	8.5
The University of Liverpool	7.5	8.5
Bishop Grosseteste College	6.2	8.3
St Mary's University College	4.0	8.3
Cardiff University	4.8	8.2
The University of Leicester	7.4	8.2
The Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College	8.8	8.1
Trinity and All Saints College	7.6	8.0
The University of Birmingham	5.9	7.3
The University of East Anglia	9.0	7.3
King's College London	5.6	7.0
The University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne	5.1	7.0
Rose Bruford College	4.7	6.9
The University of Edinburgh	4.6	6.8
University of Manchester	5.5	6.8
Loughborough University	4.0	6.5
The University of Sheffield	3.0	6.5
University College London	4.6	6.5
The University of Leeds	4.9	6.4
The University of Lancaster	4.7	5.9
The University of Southampton	5.2	5.4
The University of York	4.3	5.3
The University of Exeter	2.7	4.9
St George's Hospital Medical School	2.5	4.7
The University of Warwick	3.2	4.7
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College	4.2	4.6
Stranmillis University College	2.4	4.4
The University of Keele	3.1	4.2
Royal College of Music	3.4	3.7
Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine	3.7	3.6
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama	5.1	3.6
The University of Bristol	3.0	3.4
The University of Bath	2.3	3.3
London School of Economics and Political Science	5.2	3.2
The School of Pharmacy	2.5	3.1
The University of Nottingham	1.9	2.5
University of Durham	2.0	2.3
The University of Oxford	1.3	2.1
University of London (Institutes and activities)	3.3	1.7
The University of Cambridge	1.8	1.3
The Royal Veterinary College	1.3	0.9
Bell College	28.2	0.0
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama	4.8	0.0
Royal Agricultural College	5.1	0.0
The Arts Institute at Bournemouth	9.1	0.0
UHI Millennium Institute	37.2	0.0
De Montfort University	9.6	-
Northern School of Contemporary Dance	22.7	-
The University of Teesside	10.3	-
Source:

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