Completion rates of students in higher education, 2008/2009

This is indicated in a comparison between newly registered tertiary students who began their studies in 1988 and 1998.

For students who enrolled in 1998 and where one of the parents had higher education of more than four years, 73 per cent had completed higher education after 10 years. Forty-two per cent completed a degree from programmes longer than 4 years. In comparison, 58 per cent of the students where the parents had lower secondary education had completed higher education. Six per cent of these completed a tertiary degree longer than four years. The corresponding share for the 1988 cohort is approximately stable.

Stable throughput in tertiary education

Among the 32 300 students who began their tertiary education in 1988, 66 per cent had completed within 10 years. The corresponding share for students who entered tertiary education 10 years later was 65 per cent. The proportion of women who completed a degree within 10 years in both the 1988 and 1998 cohort is stable at 70 per cent. Around 10 per cent more women than men who enrolled for the first time in 1998 completed a tertiary degree within 10 years.

Steady increase in number of women completing a tertiary degree

In the 1998 cohort, 23 per cent of the male and 16 per cent of the female students had completed a tertiary degree from programmes longer than 4 years within 10 years. In comparison with the female students who entered 10 years earlier, the proportion that attained a graduate level rose by one percentage point in this period.

Most students complete in longer than normal study duration

A selection of 10 800 completed undergraduate courses in the 2008/09 study year shows that 6 800 were completed in longer than normal study duration.

Tables:

• Table 1 Undergraduate courses by number of graduates in 2008/09 and number of years since the student was first registered in tertiary education, by gender and duration of study. Absolute figures and per cent
• Table 2 Postgraduate courses by number of graduates in 2008/09 and number of years since the student was first registered in tertiary education, by gender and duration of study. Absolute figures and per cent
• Table 3 New entrants to tertiary education in 1988 and 1998, by gender and awarded qualification after ten years. Absolute figures and per cent
• Table 4 New entrants to tertiary education in 1988 and 1998, by parents' level of education and awarded qualification after 10 years. Absolute figures and per cent
• Table 5 Completion of selected undergraduate courses in the 2008/2009 study year. Number of years since the student was first registered in tertiary education, relative to normal study duration of the completed course. Absolute figures and per cent