Uni students tune in, drop out

By Jeremy Sollars

The University of Southern Queensland, based in Toowoomba, has come in at number three on a list of Australian universities with the highest numbers of dropouts.
University student completion data released this week by the Federal Government shows the university dropout rate nationally is worsening, with around one in three students failing to complete their studies within six years of enrolment.
The Northern Territory’s Charles Darwin University had the worst completion rate, with only 41.8 per cent of students who enrolled in 2009 finishing their studies by 2014.
The University of Southern Queensland had a completion rate of 44.4 per cent, just behind second place-getter Central Queensland University on 42.5 per cent.
Only seven out of Australia’s 43 universities showed completion rates above 75 per cent.
The data has forced many in the government and the education sector to question the methods universities employ to help students choose their courses, and how relevant many courses actually are.
Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham told national media a lack of transparency from universities was to blame, and said it was time our institutions were straight with prospective students.
“We’ve heard too many stories about students who have changed courses, dropped out because they made the wrong choices about what to study, students who didn’t realise there were other entry pathways or who started a course with next to no idea of what they were signing themselves up for,” he said.
“Students should be looking for feedback on the reputation of the university they want to attend, how well-known they are for particular courses, how satisfied current students are with the resources and teachers on offer and the employment outcomes of graduates from those universities and courses.”
Worst universities by completion rate (based on 2009 student cohort) –
1. Charles Darwin University – 41.8 per cent
2. Central Queensland University – 42.5 per cent
3. University of Southern Queensland – 44.4 per cent
4. The University of New England – 49 per cent
5. Murdoch University – 49.6 per cent
6. Federal University Australia – 51.3 per cent
7. Southern Cross University – 52.5 per cent
8. University of the Sunshine Coast – 53.3 per cent
9. Charles Sturt University – 53.5 per cent
10. Edith Cowan University – 55.4 per cent

Best universities by completion rate (based on 2009 student cohort)
1. The University of Melbourne – 88 per cent
2. University of Sydney – 81.9 per cent
3. The Australian National University – 81 per cent
4. Monash University – 79.3 per cent
5. The University of New South Wales – 78.1 per cent
6. University of Technology Sydney – 77.1 per cent
7. The University of Wollongong – 76.7 per cent
8. RMIT University – 74.8 per cent
9. The University of Western Australia – 74.5 per cent
10. Macquarie University – 71.3 per cent