Trends in Continuation 2016/2017-2023/2024

The focus of this chapter of the report is on continuation.

This is a new addition to this year’s progression and completion analysis. This metric (continuation rate) provides a longitudinal tracking of the new entrant cohort from their initial enrolment through to the end of their studies. It is also based on SRS data. It bridges the gap between progression and completion offering a more comprehensive view of the student journey.
There are several key differences between the traditional progression/completion metrics and the new continuation metric, as highlighted below:

• Continuation considers students who have transferred from their original HEI as ‘Absent’ in the original HEI to avoid double counting. New entrants who move to a different HEI following their first year will be marked as “Absent” within continuation. However, if they enrol as a new entrant in a different HEI the following year, they will appear in that institution’s specific cohort. For example, a new entrant to TCD (year 1) 2018/2019 who doesn’t return in 2019/2020 will be marked absent for the 2018/2019 TCD cohort but if they re-enrol in another HEI in 2019/2020 as a new entrant they will be tracked going forward in this cohort.
• Continuation focuses on the highest award a new entrant has received within their HEI within the timeframe of this report (2016/2017-2023/2024). The focus on highest NFQ award level is to avoid double counting in instances where a new entrant has gained an award and remains enrolled in a further award in the same academic year. The focus of continuation is on the full path of the new entrant. For example, if a student gains both a Level 6 and a Level 8 qualification, they will be recorded as having attained a Level 8. If, on the contrary, the first record was taken, the full student journey (from Level 6 to Level 8) would not be observable.
• Continuation allows tracking of new entrants who do not continue in a given academic year but return later to that HEI to continue (see example (e) below).
• Course length variations are not considered for continuation; this means disciplines that tend to have 3-year long Level 8 courses will see lower year 3 to year 4 continuation. This will also impact disciplines that have a higher proportion of Level 6/7 courses versus disciplines with predominantly Level 8 courses.

Due to the differences highlighted above it is not expected that continuation and progression/completion will be directly comparable.

Continuation:

Continuation 2016/2017-2023/2024

Selected Year of Entry indicates the new entrant cohort of interest. For example selecting 2016/2017 displays the continuation metrics for this cohort from 2016/2017 through to 2024/2025.

2016/2017 New Entrants

• 81.7% of 2016/2017 new entrants continued in the same HEI in the following academic year (2017/2018), 5.6% were re-enrolled in the same HEI. 12.7% of the new entrants were absent the following academic year.
• The following academic year (2018/2019), 70.9% of the 2016/2017 new entrants had continued in their studies, 9.3% were re-enrolled and 18.7% were absent.
• The following academic year (2019/2020), 50.8% of the 2016/2017 new entrant cohort had continued in their studies,11.9% were re-enrolled. 21.7% of the 2016/2017 new entrants were absent at this point.
• Following this (2020/2021), 60.1% of the 2016/2017 new entrants had gained an honours bachelor degree as their highest award. A further 3.1% had obtained an ordinary bachelor degree as their highest award and 1.2% of the 2016/2017 new entrants had gained a higher certificate as their highest award by this point.
• For 2016/2017 new entrants the absence rate is largest between course year 1 and course year 2 at 12.7%, a further six percentage points of new entrants became absent between course years 2 and 3 (18.7%). The absence rate between course years 3 and 4 for 2016/2017 new entrants grew by a further three percentage points to 21.7%.

2020/2021 New Entrants

• 83.4% of 2020/2021 new entrants continued in the same HEI in the following academic year (2021/2022), 4.1% were re-enrolled in the same HEI. 12.4% of the new entrants were absent the following academic year (2021/2022).
• The following academic year (2022/2023), 69.8% of the 2020/2021 new entrants had continued in their studies, 9.4% were re-enrolled and 19.7% were absent.
• The following academic year (2023/2024), 52.5% of the 2020/2021 new entrants had continued in their studies,11.5% were re-enrolled. 22.9% of the 2020/2021 new entrants were absent at this point.
• Following this (2024/2025), 58.7% of the 2020/2021 new entrants had gained an honours bachelor degree as their highest award. A further 3.5% had obtained an ordinary bachelor degree as their highest award and 1.2% of the 2020/2021 new entrants had gained a higher certificate as their highest award by this point.
• For 2020/2021 new entrants the absence rate is largest between course year 1 and course year 2 at 12.4%, a further 7.3 percentage points of new entrants became absent between course year 2 and 3 (19.7%). The absence rate between course year 3 and 4 for 2020/2021 new entrants grew by a further three percentage points to 22.9%.

2022/2023 New Entrants

• 80.4% of 2022/2023 new entrants continued in the same HEI in the following academic year (2023/2024), 6.7% were re-enrolled in the same HEI. 12.9% of the new entrants were absent the following academic year (2023/2024).
• The following academic year (2024/2025), 71.7% of the 2022/2023 new entrants had continued in their studies, 9.6% were re-enrolled and 17.4% were absent.
• For 2022/2023 new entrants the absence rate is largest between course year 1 and course year 2 at 12.9%, a further four percentage points of new entrants became absent between course years 2 and 3 (17.4%).
  Across all years analysed in this report the pathway point at which the most new entrants became absent from the system is between year 1 and year 2. The absent rate is typically smaller between year 2 and year 3 and then smaller again between year 3 and year 4

Continuation- Examples

Below are some tables to display typical expected patterns of continuation, according to different example circumstances.

(a) 2016/2017 new entrant 4-year Level 8 degree (no repeats or absences).

(b) 2016/2017 new entrant who does not progress or gain an award

(c) 2016/2017 new entrant who completes a 2-year Level 6 degree (No repeats or absences).

(d) 2016/2017 new entrant who completes a Level 6 degree and continues into a Level 7 degree and Level 8 degree within that HEI.

(e) 2016/2017 new entrant who does not progress from year 1 initially but returns and repeats year 1 the following year and goes on to earn an honours bachelor degree (3 years).

Next Section: Completion