Business programme dropout causes and the ceiling of retention

Abstract

Dropping out of school is traditionally frowned upon by judging the individual and pointing out supply-side waste – resources have been spent without the intended output of a capable graduate. This paper analyses views of dropouts from a local business administration undergraduate programme in Estonia. The survey and interviews focused on ex-students 2-15 years post-leave to chart a spectrum of dropout causes, resulting impacts and personal reflections. The data suggests the majority of students perceive significant value in their cut-short college experience, while a minority expressed various hard feelings. The paper discusses the extent to which student retention can be increased in the focal case (retention ceiling around 75%) and anticipated improvement actions. The data shows that learning without diploma is still perceived as valuable learning, which fits modern business education paradigm. Therefore the paper argues against viewing graduation rate as the main KPIs in business studies at publicly funded school. Keywords: undergraduate business education, student attrition, college dropout causes, programme development, value of learning.