Bologna process decreases university drop-out rate

A new study shows that the university drop-out rate in Germany is decreasing – a trend that is viewed as a consequence of the reforms introduced by the Bologna process and the introduction of Bachelor and Master’s courses.

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The data from a study by the The Higher Education Information System (HIS) shows that the drop-out rate has decreased from 24 percent in 2004, to 20 percents in 2006. In the social sciences the drop-out rate sank from 27 percent to 10 percent. And in a further example of a drastic decrease, in language and cultural studies the rate dropped from 43 to 32 percent.

Education minister Annette Schavan said, “This positive development shows that the Bologna process supports us in an important aim in university politics: the significant reduction of the university drop-out rate. The introduction of Bachelor degrees at universities contributes to a higher rate of student success.”

Unsurprisingly, the average length of time that a student takes to complete a degree has been shortened with the introduction of the Bachelor degree. Furthermore, there are first positive research results regarding Bachelor degree holders’ success on the job market. The report “Education in Germany 2008” showed that Bachelor holders have good chances on the job market, in particular in engineering and business-related areas. The initial analyses regarding the starting salaries also reveal that there are only minimal differences between graduates from universities of applied sciences who have got a “Diplom”, or a Bachelor’s degree.

For more information see www.his.de