The Information Processing Centre – National Research Institute (OPI PIB) has published the results of a study into the modification of educational pathways for students in Poland. Dropout, understood as the abandonment of a course of study before obtaining a diploma, regardless of the reasons and circumstances, is a common phenomenon, both in Poland and in other countries.

The analyses were conducted on data obtained from the POL-on system. They indicate that in the years 2012-2020, more than 1.3 million courses of study ended with students being deleted from the list. It accounted for 40 % of all study courses undertaken by students.

“Educational failures are an inevitable consequence of the selectivity of the system and are indicative of a concern for the quality of education. Therefore, one should not assess the dropout phenomenon only through the prism of its negative consequences”, claims Dr Jarosław Protasiewicz, director of OPI PIB, and adds that even a short period of studying may bring benefits to students in the form of acquired knowledge and skills or support in deciding what career path they should take.

As OPI PIB’s research shows, the decision to drop out of university is in many cases not a final decision, as a significant proportion of students who have experienced dropout eventually go on to obtain higher education or opt for vocational courses.

Regardless of the degree programme, the lowest dropout rates characterise degree programmes in medical sciences (29 %) and arts (29 %). These are expensive faculties with a high number of applicants, requiring a high personal investment already at the enrolment stage and the dedication of time and financial resources. In this case, the high cost of entry may determine the drive to graduate. In contrast, the highest dropout rate is observed among those studying in the sciences (51 %) and humanities (47 %).

Adrian Andrzejewski