45 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Education and Science the drop out rates of third level colleges; the comparative reasons between the universities and institutes of technology; and his proposals to remedy this matter. [28237/01]

A number of reports have recently been completed which outline the attrition levels at third level. A study of non-completion in undergraduate university courses was undertaken by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, at the request of the Higher Education Authority. The report found an overall non-completion rate of 16.8% for all first-time entrants to university undergraduate courses in the academic year 1992-93. The non-completion rates recorded by the report for each of the universities based on the 1992-93 cohort are as follows: