Deciding which university you want to study at can be tough. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration. These include; the courses on offer, the location, how lively the nightlife is and also, rather importantly, how high the dropout rate is. A high dropout rate says a lot about a university. It suggests that students aren’t enjoying their course, or perhaps the experience on campus isn’t quite as they hoped. So, if you are thinking about uni in the future, or deciding between a few offers on UCAS, check out this list of the universities with the highest dropout rates in the UK.

10. The University of the West of Scotland

The University of the West of Scotland The universities with the highest dropout rates:

Firstly, at position number 10 is The University of the West of Scotland. In fact, it’s the only Scottish uni on our list and this university has a comparatively low dropout rate at 14.5%. It seems that the spectacular views of the Scottish landscapes tend to keep uni students pretty happy. However, it still comes in 10th places of the list of UK unis with the highest drop out rate.

9. Buckinghamshire New University 

Buckinghamshire New University  high dropout rate

Located an hour’s journey from London, Buckinghamshire New University offers a variety of sports-related degrees. Maybe, looking at the age of the Olympic competitors, 14.6% of the students realised it was too late for them and dropped out of their courses. Well, the sports industry can be quite harsh sometimes. 

8. The University of Bolton 

The University of Bolton  high drop out rate

Next up, The Times and Sunday Times voted The University of Bolton as one of the best in teaching quality. However, this uni,  located near Manchester, is one of the universities with the highest dropout rates at 14.7%. Maybe that’s why the master’s degrees for international students are so cheap there. 

7. Richmond, The American International University in London

Richmond, The American International University in London, high dropout rates

Those, who don’t know about the never-ending confrontation between the Brits and the Americans clearly have never seen both nationalities in one room. And one thing for sure, they’ve definitely never studied at Richmond, The American International University in London, which host students from both UK and US. It’s not for us to judge if such a decision was the reason for 14.8% to leave, but the numbers speak for themselves. 

6. Point Black Music School 

Point Black Music School  high dropout rates

The difficulty of the art disciplines is definitely one of the most underestimated. Most people picture a promising career as a worldwide famous musician when they start a music school. However, they are faced with high competition and a creative crisis instead. For 15.2% of students of the Point Black Music school, the music industry showed its unpleasant side. 

5. London Metropolitan university

London Metropolitan university high dropout rates

 While being one of the easiest universities to get into, London Metropolitan University is one of the universities with the highest dropout rates at 20.7%. Sadly, this side of easy admissions is rarely shown and many prospective students apply, only to leave after several months of study. Hopefully, they do not regret their choice now.  

4. University of Bedfordshire

University of Bedfordshire high dropout rates

Following on, net on our list is the University of Bedfordshire. In fact, 20.9% of students who started their studies in 2018, dropped out of the University of Bedfordshire. The resulting, 79.1%, however, get to enjoy high-quality accommodation. Not to mention – quite cheap. The Londoners would give anything, including their soul, to get a room for those prices. 

3. University of Suffolk 

University of Suffolk high dropout rates

 Newt up is a  relatively new university in the East of the UK, having only been founded in 2007. Few know, but Ed Sheeran, the one and only, has an honours degree from this uni. However, 23.8% of the students never completed their degrees. It’s probably best to check out their open day in March and decide for yourself.

2. Bloomsbury institute

Bloomsbury institute high dropout rates

 The central London location of this uni is clearly not enough to keep the students from leaving Bloomsbury university. Nor does the proximity to The British Library. In fact, out of 220 full-time students enrolled in the Bloomsbury institute, 70 leave, resulting in a dropout rate of 31.8%.

1. Arden university

arden university high dropout rates

 Arden university provides an opportunity to study fully online – with no campus attendance and no fixed timetable, it allows students to study from all over the world. However, the pandemic showed us how hard and stressful it can be to self-organise your studies. Therefore,  it comes as no surprise that this university tops our list, with 38.2% dropout rate. 

*This article uses data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. 

There you have it. Those are the universities with the highest dropout rates. Have you dropped out of university and if so, why? Let us know in the comments. Alternatively, you might be interested in checking the universities with the best student life instead.