In the autumn of 2002 there were 3,982 new entrants in day courses at the upper secondary level in Iceland. Four years later 45% of these entrants had graduated from programmes at the upper secondary level that were at least of two years’ duration. Around 29% of these new entrants had dropped out of school or taken a temporary leave from study without having graduated, while 26% were still in education without having graduated.

In 2008, six years after entering, 58% of the new entrants had graduated, 29% had dropped out or taken a temporary leave from study while 13% were still in education. In 2009, seven years after entering, the completion rate had increased to 61% but 28% had dropped out. It should be noted that the size of the group defined as dropouts only decreased by one percentage point when the time given to graduate was increased from four to seven years. The completion rate increased from 45% to 61% and the proportion of those still in education decreased accordingly.

Four years after entry, 51% of females and 38% of males had graduated. The gap between males and females was almost the same six years and seven years after entry. Males were more numerous among dropouts. Four years after entry 35% of males had dropped out and 23% of females.

Four years after commencing their studies 43% of students in general education had graduated and 49% of students in vocational education. The higher rate of graduates from vocational programmes can partly be explained by the possibility to graduate after two or three years from some vocational programmes, while four years are needed to graduate from most programmes in general education. Thus, a considerable number of students had graduated from two year business programmes which are classified as vocational programmes. Seven years after commencing their studies 61% of students in general programmes had graduated and also 61% of students in vocational programmes.

It is common for students to change lines of study in upper secondary education. Thus, 29% of students who entered vocational education in the autumn of 2002 had graduated from general programmes four years later. Almost 7% of all new entrants had graduated both from general and vocational programmes four years after entry.

What is dropout?
Dropout from education can be defined in a number of ways. Here the method is chosen to follow up on new entrants in day courses in the autumn of 2002. This method is selected because the OECD is gathering comparable data on completion and dropout from upper secondary education that will be published in September 2011. Thus Icelandic data can be compared with data on dropout and completion rates in other OECD countries.

About the data
New entrants are students who were registered in programmes at the upper secondary level of education in the autumn of 2002 for the first time since the start of the Statistics Iceland Student register in 1975. All day course students of all ages are included. More than 11% of students are 17 years old or older and the oldest new entrant is 73 years old. Students still in education are those students who are studying at the upper secondary or tertiary levels of education in Iceland in the autumn. Graduates are those who have graduated from upper secondary programmes of at least two years’ duration. Many students then continue studying and complete matriculation examination or longer vocational programmes.