Determinant Factors of University Students' Dropouts: A Qualitative Analysis

International Journal of Economics and Management Studies

© 2025 by SSRG - IJEMS Journal

Volume 12 Issue 4

Year of Publication : 2025

Authors : Basu Dev Lamichhane, Om Prakash Giri, Daman Bahadur Singh, Bishnu Raj Kafle, Padam Bahadur Lama

10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V12I4P105

How to Cite?

Basu Dev Lamichhane, Om Prakash Giri, Daman Bahadur Singh, Bishnu Raj Kafle, Padam Bahadur Lama, "Determinant Factors of University Students' Dropouts: A Qualitative Analysis," SSRG International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, vol. 12,  no. 4, pp. 35-45, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V12I4P105

Abstract:

This study investigates the underlying causes of high dropout rates among Tribhuvan University's (TU) Master of Business Studies (MBS) students. It explores the impact of this trend on the University’s goodwill. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study includes a comprehensive literature review, theoretical framework development, and thematic data analysis through familiarization, coding, theme identification, and refinement. Internal and external factors influencing dropout rates— such as curriculum relevance, educational costs, political interference, institutional practices, and depiction mechanisms—are critically examined. Findings highlight that outdated curricula, insufficient student support services, political instability, and limited financial aid significantly contribute to declining enrollment. To address these challenges, the study recommends continuous curriculum updates, enhanced funding strategies, structured mentorship programs, and efforts to depoliticize the academic environment. Additionally, it advocates for flexible, student-centred learning models and robust support systems to manage dropout rates more effectively. The research implications extend to academic and regulatory institutions, educators, policymakers, and researchers, providing insights for sustainable educational planning, improved student retention, and long term socio-economic development. Ultimately, the study aims to assist TU in evolving into a more dynamic, globally competitive institution that fosters academic excellence and strengthens its institutional reputation.

Keywords:

Curriculum relevance, Dropout rates, Financial aid, Master of Business Studies, Student retention, Teacher-student interaction, TU.

References:

[1] Oswaldo Lorenzo-Quiles, Samuel Galdon-López, and Ana Lendínez-Turón, “Factors Contributing to University Dropout: A Review,” Frontiers in Education, vol. 8, pp. 1-13, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] 
[2] Richard Woodward, “The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),” 1st ed., Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-176, 2009.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]  
[3] Sharada Neupane, “Higher Education in Nepal: Prospects and Challenges,” The International Journal of Rhetoric and Social Sciences (TIJRSS), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 59-65, 2019.
[Google Scholar]
[4] Hans Schuetze, and Maria Slowey, Global Perspectives on Higher Education and Lifelong Learners, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-312, 2012.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] 
[5] Mylene Lambert et al., “Who Pursues Postsecondary Education, Who Leaves, and Why: Results from the Youth in Transition Survey,” Statistics Canada Human Resources and Ressources Humaines, Report, pp. 1-37, 2004.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] 
[6] José Miguel Marenco Domínguez, “Language Learning Strategies and Communicative Competence of Colombian Learners of English as a Foreign Language,” Jounal of Education and Learning, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 872-879, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] 
[7] L. Du Plessis, and D. Gerber, “Academic Preparedness of Students—An Exploratory Study,” The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 81-94, 2012.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[8] Luciane Bonaldo, and Luis Nobre Pereira, “Dropout: Demographic Profile of Brazilian University Students,” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 228, pp. 138-143, 2016.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[9] Jocey Quinn, “Understanding Working-Class 'Drop-Out' from Higher Education through a Sociocultural Lens: Cultural Narratives and Local Contexts,” International Studies in Sociology of Education, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 57-74, 2004.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[10] Tamara Knighton, and Sheba Mirza, “Postsecondary Participation: The Effects of Parents' Education and Household Income,” Education Quarterly Review, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 25-32, 2002.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] Lesley Andres, and E. Dianne Looker, “Rurality and Capital: Educational Expectations and Attainments of Rural, Urban/Rural, and Metropolitan Youth,” Canadian Journal of Higher Education, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 1-46, 2001.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] Alison Taylor, and Harvey Krahn, “Living through our Children: Exploring the Education and Career ‘Choices’ of Racialized Immigrant Youth in Canada,” Journal of Youth Studies, vol. 16, no. 8, pp. 1000-1021, 2013.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[13] P. A. Himna, “Factors Affecting Academic Resilience Among Secondary School Students with Emigrant Fathers in Malappuram District,” Doctoral Dissertation, Farook Training College Research Centre in Education, pp. 1-336, 2024.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[14] L. Frederick Oswald et al., “Developing a Biodata Measure and Situational Judgment Inventory as Predictors of College Student Performance,” Journal of Applied Psychology, vol. 89, no. 2, pp. 187-208, 2004.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[15] David B. Audretsch et al., Financing Constraints and Entrepreneurship, Handbook of Research on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 88-103, 2011.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[16] Luceli Patiño Garzón, and Angélica María Cardona Pérez, “Review of Some Studies on University Student Dropout in Colombia and Latin America,” Theoria, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 9-20, 2012.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[17] Kristina Love, and Carmel Sandiford, “Teachers’ and Students’ Meta-Reflections on Writing Choices: An Australian Case Study, International Journal of Educational Research, vol. 80, pp. 204-216, 2016.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[18] Antonio Jesús Fernández-García et al., “A Real-Life Machine Learning Experience for Predicting University Dropout at Different Stages Using Academic Data,” IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 133076-133090, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[19] Kristen A. Renn, and Robert D. Reason, College Students in the United States: Characteristics, Experiences, and Outcomes, 2nd ed., Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-276, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[20] Nurmalitasari, Zalizah Awang Long, and Mohammad Faizuddin Mohd Noor, “Factors Influencing Dropout Students in Higher Education,” Education Research International, vol. 2023, pp. 1-13, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[21] Jovial Niyogisubizo et al., “Predicting Students’ Dropout in University Classes Using Two-layer Ensemble Machine Learning Approach: A Novel Stacked Generalization,” Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, vol. 3, pp. 1-12, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[22] Fernando Acevedo Calamet, “Explanatory Factors for Dropout from Higher Education in Unfavourable Socio-Academic Contexts,” Journal of Pedagogy, vol. 78, no. 276, pp. 253-269, 2023.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[23] Pierre Bourdieu, The Forms of Capital, 3rd ed., The Sociology of Economic Life, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1-15, 2011. [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] [24] Peter M. Blau, “A Theory of Social Integration,” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 65, no. 6, pp. 545-556, 1960.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[25] Christopher Murray, and Mark T. Greenberg, “Children's Relationship with Teachers and Bonds with School: An Investigation of Patterns and Correlates in Middle Childhood,” Journal of School Psychology, vol. 38, no. 5, pp. 423-445, 2000.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[26] Meera Komarraju, Sergey Musulkin, and Gargi Bhattacharya, “Role of Student-Faculty Interactions in Developing College Students' Academic Self-Concept, Motivation, and Achievement,” Journal of College Student Development, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 332-342, 2010.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[27] Rajendra Kunwar et al., “Head Teachers' Perceptions about Time Spent on Teaching and Learning: A Context from Nepal,” Nurture, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 325-334, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[28] Philip G. Altbach, Leadership for World-Class Universities: Challenges for Developing Countries, Taylor & Francis, pp. 1 251, 2011.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[29] Barbara Bruns and Ben Ross Schneider, “Managing the Politics of Quality Reforms in Education: Policy Lessons from Global Experience,” The Education Commission Report, pp. 1-75, 2016.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[30] Pragati Karki, “International Student Migration in Nepal: Push and Pull Factors,” Master's Thesis, Tampere University, pp. 1-76, 2023.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]