Factors associated with dropout, completion, and retention in higher education: the experience from a brazilian public university

Abstract

NIEROTKA, Rosileia Lucia  and  CARRASQUEIRA, Karina. Factors associated with dropout, completion, and retention in higher education: the experience from a brazilian public university. Educação. Santa Maria [online]. 2024, vol.49, e70956.  Epub July 22, 2025. ISSN 1984-6444.  https://doi.org/10.5902/1984644470956.

This paper aims to investigate factors related to the trajectory of a cohort of students from a Brazilian Public Higher Education Institution. The association between students' socioeconomic and pre-university characteristics and institutional aspects with the completion, dropout, mobility and retention was investigated in a case study at Federal University of FronteiraSul, which has more than 90% of students from public schools. It was observed the enrollment situation in the second semester of 2019 of 1.882 students who entered the Institution in 2013 through National High School Exam. Of this group, 11.2% were still studying at the institution (retention); 27.4% had completed their studies; 54.6% had dropped out and 6.9% had managed to transfer to another graduation course at the same or at another institution (mobility). Bivariate descriptive analyses were made by using secondary data obtained in the institution itself. The results found indicate that the characteristics of the institution, the courses, and the pre-university characteristics of the students, such as the type of school attended in high school, make the difference in the student's trajectory. Likewise, men, non-white, and older students' dropout more. On the contrary, students who receive social support and live in the rural area conclude more.

Keywords : Higher education; Dropout; Completion, Mobility.

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