5.4% students discontinue education in 2017-18 session

Discontinuation of education leading to a qualification or degree grew slightly in the academic year 2017-2018 compared to the previous academic year, according to Statistics Finland.

In all, 5.4 per cent of students discontinued their studies and did not resume them in any education leading to a qualification or degree.

In upper secondary general education aimed at young people the discontinuation percentage was 3.2, in vocational education aimed at young people it was 8.7, in university of applied sciences education (university of applied sciences qualifications) 7.1 and in university education (lower and higher university degrees) 5.9 per cent.

Discontinuation increased in vocational education after having decreased or stayed unchanged for several years.

The figure was 1.3 percentage points higher than in the previous academic year. Discontinuation increased slightly in upper secondary school education and decreased somewhat in university of applied sciences education.

In university education discontinuation was unchanged from the previous academic year.

These statistics examine discontinuation from many perspectives. Education can be discontinued in one's own field of education in one's own sector of education, but it can continue in another field of education either in one's own or another sector of education.

Or correspondingly, examined by area; education can be discontinued in one's own sector of education in one’s own region, but it can continue in another region in either one's own or another sector of education.

Men discontinued their education leading to a qualification or degree more often than women. Of men, 6.4 per cent discontinued education completely and 4.4 per cent of women in the academic year 2017/2018.

Women changed the sector of education slightly more than men. Men most often discontinued university of applied sciences education (9.0 per cent), women vocational education (9.0 per cent). Women and men studying in the sector of education of vocational education discontinued their studies leading to a qualification equally often (7.9 per cent).