5.8% students discontinue studies in 2023-24 session

A total of 5.8 per cent of students attending education leading to a qualification or degree discontinued their studies and did not resume education leading to a qualification or degree in the academic year 2023/2024, according to Statistics Finland.

The discontinuation percentage among the young people in general upper secondary education was 2.6, in initial vocational it was 9.9, in university of applied sciences education (bachelor’s degrees) 8.2 and in university education (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) 5.1.

The percentage of the discontinuation, however, was 0.2 points lower than in the previous year.

Men discontinued their education leading to a qualification or degree completely in all sectors of education more often than women.

Men most commonly discontinued their university of applied sciences education (10.2%) and women their vocational education and training (9.8%).

Education was discontinued most in vocational education and training and in university of applied sciences education in the field of services and information and communication technology (ICT) and in university education in the field of natural sciences.

For new students having started studies in 2023, the discontinuation percentage was 5.7. The figure is unchanged from the year before.