Ratings explained: Student Retention

The Good Universities Guide is committed to educating its audience about the importance of our university rankings and ratings, which are crucial for informing prospective students about their education options. Over the next few months, we will be going through each rating individually and highlighting the institutions that are excelling in this area.

What is Student Retention?

The Student Retention rating shows which universities retained students at a higher rate than the national average for students enrolled in the same field of study with comparable entrance scores. For many universities, less than one per cent of the cohort is retained at a higher rate than the national average. Entrance scores, field of study and student type are all factors that can influence student retention.

Not every factor that influences retention is accounted for in this rating and other factors such as study mode may impact results for some universities. Please note that this rating looks at students enrolled on the basis of secondary education, which may constitute a small proportion of the overall cohort at some universities.

Why does this matter to me?

On average, 15 per cent of students will leave their course after their first year, either to transfer to another institution or drop out altogether. A university’s ability to retain students can indicate the quality of the institution and its capacity to meet the needs of the student cohort, enhancing the brand of the university.

Which university leads the way for Student Retention?

Bond University led all comers with a Student Retention rate of 14 per cent. Bond University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford, said he was proud of the institution’s continued strong performance in The Good Universities Guide 2019.

“Our students are at the heart of everything we do and every decision we make, so its pleasing to see this absolute focus on providing a world-class, transformational student experience is constantly reflected in our Good Universities Guide ratings.”

Professor Brailsford said the university’s personalised approach to student learning and small class sizes, practical learning opportunities, links to industry, an embedded approach to entrepreneurship and a focus on outcomes had driven Bond’s five-star performance in The Good Universities Guide 2019.

“We are constantly investing in our people and our educational facilities,” he said.

What other universities performed well for Student Retention?

There were a host of other universities that achieved five-star status;