HESA Publish 2004/05 Performance Indicators

Performance Indicators data, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, for Higher Education in the United Kingdom 2004/2005 show that Scotland has the highest rate of undergraduate drop-outs of the UK countries.  According to HESA, 11.6 per cent of students in Scotland left after their first year of study, ahead of England at 9.1 per cent, Wales at 10.7 per cent and Northern Ireland at 11.4 per cent. However, Scotland's drop-out rate had fallen from the 2003/2004 figure of 12.1 per cent.

The data also revealed that 29,875 students started first-time courses at universities in Scotland during 2004-05 compared with 31,495 the year before.  This is a fall of 5.1 per cent year on year.

These findings follow on from the publication of the The Labour Market for Graduates in Scotland report in the summer of 2006.