The Impact of Parents, Intimate Relationships, and Friends on Students’ Dropout Intentions

Abstract

The importance of close social contacts in the educational process has been widely documented, but mainly for the school sector. The present article examines the importance of close relationships on university students’ dropout tendencies. Using longitudinal panel data collected at a medium-sized German university, students (N = 7,169) were surveyed in four waves. The authors investigate how the family situation, partnerships and relations to peers correspond with students’ dropout intentions. Data analyses revealed three main findings: First, parental educational aspirations negatively influence the tendency to dropout. Second, students living in partnerships display lower dropout intentions; however, a new partnership favors the tendency to drop out. Third, while close friends decrease students’ dropout intentions, having a high proportion of friends from non-university life domains increases them.