The researchers María Olga González Morales, David López Aguilar, Ricardo Álvarez Pérez y Pedro Antonio Toledo Delgado have recently published in the magazine Acta Psychologica An article derived from the national research project 'Analysis of the explanatory factors of the abandonment of university studies and strategic actions for its improvement and prevention'.
University dropout is one of the problems currently facing the university education system. Therefore, gaining a deeper understanding of this issue justifies this study, whose principal investigators are Álvarez Pérez and López Aguilar, with the aim of identifying the characteristics of the profile of those students who decide not to continue their degrees.
The study analyzes variables related to the demographic, academic, and economic characteristics of the student body. Data from 149,837 students who had dropped out of three Spanish universities (University of La Laguna, University of Zaragoza, and University of Huelva) were analyzed.
The results obtained allow us to identify a series of characteristics associated with the probability of dropping out of university studies. Specifically, it was observed that the probability of a student dropping out of university increases among male students, international students, and students aged 25 or older. Likewise, students in the Social Sciences and Law fields have a higher probability of dropping out compared to students in the Health Sciences, who show the lowest probability.
It was also confirmed that the lower the university entrance grade, the more likely students are to drop out, highlighting that prior academic performance influences subsequent achievements. Furthermore, not having a scholarship or combining work with studies increases the likelihood of dropping out.
The results obtained have significant transfer value for implementing actions aimed at adapting students and preventing them from dropping out.
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