05/03/2022

A Third of U.S. College Students Consider Withdrawing

Those most likely to consider dropping out are multiracial students

About a third (32 percent) of currently enrolled students pursuing a bachelor's degree report they have considered withdrawing from their program for a semester or more in the past six months. A slightly higher percentage of students pursuing their associate degree, 41 percent, report they have considered stopping out in the past six months. These are similar to 2020 levels when 33 percent of bachelor's degree students reported they had considered stopping out and 38 percent of associate degree students said the same.

Among all racial and ethnic groups, multiracial students are the most likely to report they have considered dropping out. About half of those pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree who identify as multiracial report they have considered stopping out in the past six months (55 percent and 48 percent, respectively).

Results for the 2021 Lumina-Gallup State of Higher Education Study are based on web surveys conducted Oct. 19-Nov. 22, 2021, with a non-probability sample of U.S. adults aged 18-59 who have earned a high school diploma or degree but had not completed an associate or bachelor's degree. The sample included 5,215 students currently pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Gallup.