Individual and institutional factors in the tendency to drop out of higher education: a multilevel analysis using data from the Konstanz Student Survey

Since the 1970s, research on why students discontinue their university studies has been a major topic, especially in American educational sociology and university socialization research. With the aid of multilevel models, this contribution examines the relationship between institutional and individual factors in influencing the tendency to drop out. The data employed here from the Konstanz Student Survey are typical of German universities. This study shows that students do not contemplate dropping out because of stress or a lack of ability, but primarily because of weak commitment to their course of study in general, or to the specific field of study in particular. The institutional influence on the tendency to drop out is thus modest, being limited to maintaining or improving teaching quality.