Drop-outs from Swiss Universities: an empirical analysis of data on all students between 1975 and 2008

This study presents in-depth empirical analyses of drop-outs from all Swiss universities for the entire student population between 1975 and 2008. The results show that most identifiable factors associated with a greater or lesser probability of dropping out are identical to those found in a recent Systematic Review (Larsen et al., 2013). The main findings are that: first, since the 1970s, there has been a marked trend towards falling drop-out rates which is largely due to female students who, today, have lower drop-out rates than their male counterparts; secondly, not only are there different drop-out rates for specific subjects of study, but there are also differences in baccalaureate profiles, which indicates that the skills acquired prior to entering university have a great impact on successful study; thirdly, students who change their first subject choice are at great risk of dropping out. No firm conclusions can yet be drawn about the Bologna reform but, based on the subjects which changed to the Bachelor/Master system between 2001 and 2003, no reduction in drop-out rates can be found as a result of the reform.     

Are student exchange programs worth it?

The number of university students participating in exchange programs has risen sharply over the last decade. A survey of Swiss university graduates (classes of 1999 and 2001) shows that participation in student exchange programs depends significantly on the socio-economic background of students. We further analyze whether the participants benefit from additional advantages caused by these exchange programs. Analyses show that student exchange programs are associated with higher starting salaries and a higher likelihood of opting for postgraduate degrees. Analyses using instrumental variable estimations (IV), however, show that these outcomes are not causally related to participation in exchange programs.