Staying the course: an econometric analysis of the characteristics most associated with student attrition beyond the first year of higher education

Non-completion of courses by students has implications for themselves, the institutions that they attend, and for the economy and society in general. Through the analysis of non-completion of first year HE courses at the University of Ulster, this paper reports the results of an econometric modelling exercise that shows that non-completion is associated with factors including gender, religion, socio-economic class, and the nature of the course undertaken.