Have you ever worried about dropping out? Or maybe you’ve thought about dropping out? Maybe you’re worried that if you go to a university where lots of people drop out, there’s something wrong with the university? If that’s the case, you’ll be interested to know which UK universities have the biggest drop out rates…

20. Arden University – 455 people

Out of 1,640 people entering the university in 2018, 455 people left. That’s 14.1% of their student uptake! Considering it’s got a 4.1 student rating on What Uni?, we’ve got to assume that people just really don’t like Birmingham, Manchester or London…

19. University of East London – 460 people 

With a slightly lower rating of 3.8 stars, it’s still quite a surprise that 460 people out of the 3,260 taken on in 2018 dropped out. That’s only 14.1%, but still quite a lot considering the vibrant capital atmosphere of London. Maybe it’s because of the cost of living or the fear of becoming a character from EastEnders!

18. University of the West of England – 475 people 

UWE took on 6,110 people in 2018, out of which 475 people dropped out. That’s only 7.7%, but it’s still quite a high number of people! Maybe they’re all too busy getting busy to focus on their work – after all, Bristol is the 7th most kinky university city.

17. Liverpool John Moores University – 480 people 

Liverpool John Moores has a rating of 3.9 stars, so it isn’t too much lower than its counterparts. However, it only makes up 8.1% out of the 5,930 people who the university took on in 2018. Perhaps, like UWE, these students became preoccupied and decided university was getting in the way of other activities… We see you, 8th kinkiest city. 

16. Coventry University – 485 people 

Coventry University has received an average What Uni? rating of 4 stars from its students. This works out at about 8.9% percent of their uptake that year, which is probably just because their students were too busy getting sloshed on nights out, earning them their place on the hardest partying university list.

15. University of Salford – 500 people 

Hidden over by Manchester, the University of Salford lost a whopping 500 people in 2018, which is 9.5% of their 5,295 uptakes that year. We can’t imagine why people would want to drop out of an almost 4 star university. Oh wait – they were busy being the 2nd kinkiest university city in the country!

14. University of Sunderland – 525 people 

With a solid student review of 4.1 stars, the University of Sunderland appears to be quite a solid university choice, right? Well, maybe not. 13.4% of the students who joined in 2018 left that same year, with a whopping 525 people dropping out.

13. London Metropolitan University – 535 people 

This central London uni has a 3.9 star rating from previous students, perhaps explaining a little bit why 22.6% of their student uptake in 2018 dropped out that year. Either that or they were busy getting laid, or they only went to the uni because it was an easy option.

12. Sheffield Hallam University – 540 people 

Sheffield Hallam is quite a well-known, solidly reputable university, yet 7.8% of their uptake dropped out in 2018. This might be because they just got bored of Sheffield, perhaps the safest city just wasn’t for them. Or, more likely, they got distracted by all the kinky stuff happening in the city.

11. Buckinghamshire New University – 550 people 

4.1 stars on What Uni?, and one of the top 3 unis in the South East for student satisfaction, we can’t help but wonder what’s making Bucks students drop out. Perhaps it’s the location, with London being just that little bit too far away… Or maybe it’s that the nightlife is, well, nonexistent.

10. The Manchester Metropolitan University – 580 people

Manchester Met, the University of Manchester’s little brother, had 580 people drop out in 2018. This only made up 7.7% of their overall uptake of the year, but it’s still a hefty number of people! Especially for a 4 star uni in a city as busy and interesting as Manchester.

9. Leeds Beckett University – 585 people

4 stars on What Uni, and 110th in the country, it’s not a huge surprise that Leeds Beckett has a high number of students dropping out. In 2018, that number was 585, which made up 10.3% of their uptake. Perhaps these students weren’t cut out for life in the north.

8. Birmingham City University – 585 people

Birmingham City University is in a tie with Leeds Beckett when it comes to people dropping out, although it only makes up 9.8% of this university’s uptake. We’re sure that the local accent was what caused these students to up and leave. It can’t have been much else, surely.

7. De Montfort University – 590 people

Anyone who lives in the midlands will have heard of, and likely applied to, DMU. It’s a very popular choice amongst students, but clearly, some people regret that choice, with 590 people dropping out in 2018. This worked out at around

6. Anglia Ruskin University – 590 people

Set in the idyllic city of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin has a great campus and has plenty to do around it. However, clearly, it wasn’t enough for these 590 students. Or they just got too drunk and had to call it a day. After all, Cambridge had to have earned a place on the hardest partiers somehow.

5. The University of Wolverhampton – 620 people

Just near Birmingham, but not quite, Wolverhampton is a small city in the midlands that 620 people have had enough of! It’s one of the easiest unis in the UK to get into, so maybe they all just went for the sake of going to university. Either way, it made up 13.1% of their student intake in 2018.

4. The University of Central Lancashire – 625 people

UCLan has a 4 star rating from students, despite being kind of in the middle of nowhere. (Yes, Lancashire is a place, no, it doesn’t have much there). Perhaps this is what led to 625 students dropping out in 2018…

3. The University of the West of Scotland – 655 people

What Uni? gives UWS a rating of 4 stars, however, Student Crowd has given it a measly 2.8. This seems to be much more in line with the whopping 655 people leaving in 2018. This accounted for 15% of the university’s intake that year, which is a substantial chunk. We can’t put our finger on why people would leave, but maybe it was a bunch of Brits who couldn’t grasp the Scottish accent.

2. University of Suffolk – 685 people

4.1 stars, and yet 126th in the country, the University of Suffolk lost 685 students in 2018. This accounted for a whopping 22.2% of their student intake that year. We can’t blame them, to be fair – Ipswich is nothing special!

1. University of Bedfordshire – 995 people

Surprisingly, the University of Bedfordshire has taken the place at the top of this list, with 995 students dropping out in the academic year beginning in 2018. This accounted for 25.8% (over a quarter!) of their students. So, where did they go wrong?!