One in three get no degree
One in three university students do not complete their degrees, according to new Government data.
Performance reports, released on Friday, assessed students paying for their degrees – data on the success of those covered by the Government’s fees-free policy won’t be available until next year.
A spokesman for Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC) findings, which show 36 per cent of bachelor degree-level students did not complete their qualifications over the six years to 2017, had no bearing on the fees-free policy, which started in 2018.
National associate tertiary spokesman Simeon Brown said National stood by its policies and investment while in Government. National would look closely at the data over the past decade as they understood there were changes to the way data was gathered which affected completion rates.
‘‘We need to be confident that the Tertiary Education Commission’s methodology compares to the rest of the world because international students, governments, and businesses judge us by these figures.’’
He said prior to the fees-free policy, Government subsidised 80 per cent of tertiary study on average, so it was important to look at why students were not completing degrees. National was working in areas like career education in schools to make sure students understood job prospects or salary expectations.
Brown said the fees-free policy meant people may not be as invested in study as they had less personal investment in the decision, which could reduce degree completion rates.
Universities contested the statistics, with Universities New Zealand director Chris Whelan saying the results had ‘‘the potential to mislead students’’ because those who changed degrees were double counted as both a drop out and a successful completion.
Lachlan Maclean dropped his
biology studies at the University of Canterbury after finishing his first semester with good grades, to switch to computer science at the Ara Institute of Canterbury.
Maclean said he left university because he figured there were probably not a lot of jobs in biology in New Zealand, and they were not likely to be high-paying.
‘‘It’s a lot of money to be going to university. There’s really no point continuing, doing three more years, if you’re going to get a mediocre job out of it.’’
Maclean said about half his friends from the biology course had also left the University of Canterbury, for a variety of reasons.
TEC chief executive Tim Fowler said the funding body accounted for universities’ different student populations and delivery models: ‘‘Universities have in fact seen an increase in their qualification completion rate over the past three years.’’
Its data indicated Massey University had the worst degree completion rate – just 42 per cent of bachelor degrees.
A spokesman for the university said the poor result was ‘‘not a surprise’’, attributing it to distance learners who comprise roughly half of its students.
‘‘Because of the nature of the students, they tend to be older people who are just looking to upskill and have other commitments . . . some people do papers with no intention of completing a degree.
Otago University welcomed its reported 71 per cent bachelor completion rate, significantly higher than second-place getter Auckland University (65 per cent).
Vice-chancellor Harlene Hayne said it reflected the calibre of its teaching staff, but was ‘‘ultimately earned by our students, who put a huge commitment into achieving their full potential’’.
Lincoln University performed poorly. According to TECs assessment, 49 per cent of bachelor students did not complete the qualification.
Chief commercial officer Phil O’Callaghan said the figure ‘‘may not give an accurate representation’’ of the university’s performance, as it covered a time when Lincoln still operated its Balclutha campus, which offered sub-degree qualifications.
Whelan said the sector had long considered the TEC’s annual assessments a poor reflection of performance. His organisation, which represents New Zealand’s eight universities, has repeatedly raised concerns about them, he said.
Fowler said he was not aware of universities disputing its data but said they ‘‘may be debating the issue of comparing institutions with each other’’.