One of the most important challenges currently faced by both universities, in terms of their educational centers, and university students themselves is student attrition (Tuero et al., 2018) Indeed, according to data provided by the Quality Assurance Commission, under the supervision of the Vice-Chancellor of Students from Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC), the dropout rate of first-year students varies from the 13% to 33.2%, depending on the degree. The aim of this project is to identify which factors may influence the dropout rate of university degrees, and their relevance, to formulate appropriate policies. The retrospective analysis at URJC considered data from several years and different degrees. This work was proposed on the initiative of URJC Vice-Chancellor of Students, as part of their efforts to improve studying techniques and learning strategies. A prospective research initiative aims to investigate additional factors not considered in this study that might influence the withdrawal from future studies. Multiple studies indicate that studying methods and educational approaches learned during pre-university stages can significantly impact students’ academic performance throughout their educational journey, potentially influencing their decision to continue or cease their studies. Educational institutions play a crucial role in implementing support programs, academic guidance, and resources tailored to students who are at risk of discontinuing their studies. This research aims to help decision makers in developing such tools, mitigating dropout rates in university degrees.

Authors: Clara Simón de Blas, Juan Carlos Aguado Franco, Maria Eugenia Castellanos Nueda, Ana E. Garcia Sipols, Javier Cano Cancela, Mariana Denisia Pelu, Gonzalo Martinez Moreno, Sohaib Tarfi Elidrissi, Daniel Gómez Gonzalez

Speaker: Clara Simón de Blas

Published in: London International Conference on Education (LICE-2024)

• Date of Conference: 4-6 November 2024
• DOI: 10.20533/LICE.2024.0006
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-74-7
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK