The staggering number of Victorian students dropping out of university

More than one-in-three students at most Victorian universities aren’t finishing their courses within six years.

New Federal Education Department data also reveals drop-out rates are climbing.

In 2021, 62.6 per cent of domestic university students completed their course within six years, compare to 67.2 per cent in 2011.

Press PLAY below to hear why students are dropping out

Higher education policy expert at the Australian National University, Andrew Norton estimates another seven to eight per cent of students will complete their course in nine or 10 years.

The University of Melbourne had the highest percentage of students completing courses within six years between 2016 and 2021, with 89 per cent of students finishing. Monash University came in second place, with 81.9 per cent completion, followed by RMIT University at 74 per cent.

Swinburne University fared the worst, with only 42.6 per cent of students finishing their studies during the same time period.