Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/295876 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 16853
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
High student dropout rates are a continuing concern within higher education and have received considerable attention for decades. Despite numerous proposed interventions, it remains unclear which interventions are effective, and what the pivotal active ingredients are. This paper systematically synthesizes the effects of different interventions on dropout and graduation rates in higher education. Screening around 7250 abstracts of potentially relevant studies, we found 38 (quasi-)experimental studies that met our pre-specified inclusion criteria. We describe the studies in various dimensions and conduct a narrative systematic review as well as a meta-analysis. Our findings indicate a general tendency towards positive effects. Interventions manipulating peer group composition, particularly those adjusting for gender and ability, show the most promising outcomes. We discuss the economic implications of effect sizes and show that they are considerable. This paper contributes to understanding effective strategies for addressing student dropout, providing valuable insights for higher education institutions and policymakers.
Subjects: 
student dropout
intervention
higher education
meta-analysis
educational economics
efficiency
JEL: 
I23
I24
I29
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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