News

Study on student retention, graduation and beyond

30 March 2010

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has released research conducted in response to multiple concerns that South Africa’s higher education (HE) throughput rates are too low.  The study seeks to provide a clearer understanding of the factors shaping the pathways of students into, through and out of HE institutions and into the labour market.

Seven institutions were included in the study: the University of Fort Hare; the University of the Western Cape (UWC); Peninsula Technikon; Stellenbosch University (SU); the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits); the University of the North; and Pretoria Technikon.

The study suggests that student poverty is the most important issue to be addressed if the student dropout rate is to be remedied.

A full description of the material covered in the seven chapters of the study can be found on HSRC’s website.  The study is available for free download, or to purchase.