Higher education institutions’ efforts to counter dropping out of shortage occupation programmes
(RiR 2025:3)
Summary
In the Swedish labour market, there is a demand for numerous professions in essential services such as teachers, nurses and engineering graduates. Meanwhile, the drop-out rate from such programmes has been high for several years. This not only leads to problems in the labour market, it also has significant negative consequences for higher education institutions (HEIs), students and taxpayers. Both the Government and the Riksdag have stated that unnecessary withdrawal from studies needs to decrease and programme completion needs to increase. The Swedish National Audit Office has examined whether HEIs’ efforts to reduce dropping out of these three programmes are effective. The audit also covers, to some extent, the Swedish Higher Education Authority and the Government’s management.
The Swedish National Audit Office’s overall conclusion is that HEIs offer numerous support measures to counteract dropping out, but there are several significant obstacles to effective efforts, some of which are beyond the HEIs’ control. Clear regulations and functional system support are essential for successful efforts, as well as strengthening students’ prior knowledge and reducing misguided choices. Knowledge about dropping out also needs to improve.
It is the assessment of the Swedish National Audit Office that there is potential for HEIs to develop their work in several areas, which could better support efforts to combat drop-out rates in the long term. However, the Swedish National Audit Office notes that there are several conflicting objectives that impede efforts to reduce the number of dropouts. If the drop-out rate is to be reduced, the Government needs to set clearer priorities for these objectives, according to the Swedish National Audit Office. The Swedish Higher Education Authority’s knowledge production is beneficial for HEIs, but the Authority’s role as a knowledge resource for HEIs may need to be clarified.
All in all, the Swedish National Audit Office considers that there is no quick fix for the drop-out problem; rather, numerous actors need to set priorities and also engage in long-term efforts to reduce unnecessary dropouts.
Lack of a clear regulatory framework and functional system support
The audit shows that there is a lack of both a clear regulatory framework and functional system support, which means that HEIs often do not know whether students have dropped out, and why. The regulations do not require students who discontinue their studies to report this to the HEI to which they were admitted. The lack of clear regulation not only leads to major challenges in planning for the HEIs – it also sends a signal to students that there are hardly any requirements associated with the study slot awarded to them. Since it is unusual for students to report dropping out, HEIs do not have access to reliable recent data on this issue. Instead, HEIs have to resort to using indirect dropout measurements, with a protracted lag, such as retention and graduation rates. However, these measurements are not entirely reliable and are not helpful to HEIs in their efforts to reduce drop-out rates. Furthermore, the audit shows that the HEIs’ joint technical system support, Ladok, does not provide sufficient support in their efforts to reduce drop-out rates. For example, there are no functions for early identification of students who are at risk of dropping out.
HEIs offer many support measures, but it is difficult to assess whether they lead to fewer dropouts
The audit shows that there are a number of reasons why students drop out, which may also act in combination. In the long term, this complicates efforts to reduce the drop-out rate. A common reason is that students lack sufficient prior knowledge of Swedish and/or mathematics to cope with their studies. Several HEIs point out that students’ upper secondary school grades do not always reflect their actual knowledge. Another common reason for dropping out is that students discover that the programme was not right for them. Lack of prior knowledge and misguided choices have also been highlighted in previous research studies and drop-out evaluations.
The audit shows that HEIs provide numerous support measures and that they are generally focused on the most common causes of dropping out. However, it is not possible to assess whether these support measures are properly designed and whether they help reduce the number of dropouts. Most HEIs do not engage in outreach activities. Rather, it is up to the students themselves to use the support offered by the HEIs.
Drop-in writing and maths sessions are a common support measure for addressing a lack of prior knowledge. However, to benefit from these support measures, students must possess basic knowledge from upper secondary school. To counteract misguided choices, HEIs offer study guidance both ahead of applications and during the course of the programme. It is the assessment of the Swedish National Audit Office that there may be reason to expand study guidance ahead of choosing a programme to reduce misguided choices.
Recommendations
The Swedish National Audit Office makes the following recommendations.
To the Government
- Introduce statutory requirements that oblige students to report that they have dropped out of their studies.
- In the regulations, clarify what applies to students and higher education institutions if students are inactive for a lengthy period.
- Task the Swedish Higher Education Authority with developing a national method for how higher education institutions can measure drop-out rates over the course of the programme. This assignment should be conducted in cooperation with the higher education institutions.
- Consider introducing a scheme whereby higher education institutions automatically issue diplomas to students who have completed a professional qualification programme. Such an arrangement would contribute both to higher graduation rates and to students who have completed their education not being classified as dropouts.
- Consider tasking HEIs with jointly establishing a knowledge centre on dropout and completion. This assignment should be conducted in consultation with the Swedish Higher Education Authority and the Swedish Council for Higher Education.
- Task the Swedish Council for Higher Education with investigating how extended study guidance can be designed to reduce the number of misguided choices and dropouts. This assignment should be conducted in cooperation with the higher education institutions.
To the higher education institutions
- Ensure that the technical system support in Ladok is developed to provide higher education institutions with better support in the efforts to prevent dropping out.