Prediction of Potential Higher Education Dropout in Employed and Unemployed Undergraduate Students

Abstract Higher education dropout is a relevant problem. Many students do not complete college because of financial and psychosocial issues. We aimed to identify predictors of the reasons for potential dropout of higher education among 385 university students employed and 397 unemployed. We showed that the reasons for the potential dropout of higher education in the sample are related to factors as vocational, career, academic performance, interpersonal and lack of support. This evidence demonstrates that predictors related to the type of institution, study financing, self-evaluation and levels of satisfaction with course, financial condition and professional choice predict the college dropout potential among students who work and do not work. Thus, it is necessary to plan public policies that cover these variables and consider the specificities of these groups while formulating policies and practices with the purpose of maximizing student’s permanence in higher education and optimizing their professional trajectory planning.