In Iceland, 44% of new entrants at the upper secondary level in 2003 graduated on time, i.e. within four years. Only in Luxembourg had fewer students completed the upper secondary level on time, 41% of students. In Luxembourg it is common for students to repeat years in school. Two years later 71% of new entrants in Luxembourg had graduated but 58% of Icelandic students, leaving Iceland in last place among the 11 OECD countries with comparable data.

On average, 68% of new entrants at the upper secondary level in OECD countries had graduated on time. After additional two years the completion rate had increased to 81%. It should be noted that education at the upper secondary level varies in duration between the OECD countries. Upper secondary education frequently lasts three years, but in some countries it takes two years or four years, as in Iceland. In addition, students in Iceland are older than in most other OECD countries when they graduate on time from education at the upper secondary level.

In all OECD countries with comparable data more females than males complete upper secondary education on time. On average, 73% of females and 63% of males graduate on time. The differences between the sexes are greater in Iceland, where 52% of females and 36% of males graduated on time.

It is more common in the OECD countries for students to complete general programmes on time than vocational programmes. A total of 76% of students in general programmes completed their education on time and 55% of students in vocational programmes. In Iceland there is little difference in the completion rate between general and vocational programmes. One explanation is that it is possible to complete several shorter vocational programmes, but in most cases a student needs to complete a four year education in order to complete a general programme.

Four years after starting upper secondary education 30% of students in Iceland have dropped out
In the autumn of 2003 there were 4,328 new entrants in day courses at the upper secondary level in Iceland. Four years later 44% of these entrants had graduated from programmes at the upper secondary level that were at least of two years’ duration. Around 30% 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. These figures are similar to data from the previous year, when 45% of new entrants had graduated four years after starting their programme, even though the number of new entrants increased by 346 between 2002 and 2003.

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 2003. This method has been chosen by the OECD so by using it comparable data on completion and dropout from upper secondary education can be published. A total of 20 OECD countries responded to a special survey on completion and dropout in upper secondary education in 2010-2011.

About the data
New entrants are students who were registered in programmes at the upper secondary level of education in the autumn of 2003 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 62 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.