Hardly any question about distance learning is asked as often as the one about the dropout rate, and hardly any is as hard to answer honestly. Anyone looking for a single, reliable percentage will be disappointed. That is not down to a lack of interest, but to the matter itself.
Why there is no simple figure
The methodological problem begins with the definition. When does someone count as a dropout? In distance learning, many students interrupt their studies without giving up for good. They pause for one or two semesters because things are busy at work or something changes in their private life, and re-enrol later. In the statistics, such a pause can hardly be distinguished from a genuine dropout.
On top of that, the groups are very different. A bachelor's degree alongside work, a master's alongside the job and a continuing education course have entirely different trajectories. A rate across all formats mixes together things that really ought to be looked at separately. That is exactly why we do not report an invented figure, but say openly what is honestly known. The reliable figures on time commitment, the decisive factor, are set out in the Time commitment report.
Not the subject matter, but the time
As hard as the rate is to measure, the most common reason for dropping out is just as clear. It is rarely the difficulty of the subject matter. Distance learners are mostly motivated and bring work experience with them. What gives them trouble is time. Anyone studying alongside a full time job and often with a family has a thin reserve. If it disappears, the plan starts to slip.
That also explains why the higher average age plays a role here. Older students with a settled working and family life have more stable routines, but also more commitments that can get in the way. Study success is therefore decided less on the exam day than in the calendar of the weeks before it.
What actually helps
Anyone who wants to lower their personal risk has three effective levers. First, fixed, protected study times that are not the first to be sacrificed when things get tight. Second, the option to stretch the studies: many universities allow free extensions and leave semesters, which take the pressure out of intense phases. Third, the transfer of prior credits, which reduces the overall workload from the start.
The most honest statement about the dropout rate is therefore this: there is no simple figure, but the reasons are well understood, and they can be influenced. Anyone who plans the time realistically gets through. How much time distance learning really costs is shown by the Time commitment report.
Frequently asked questions
How high is the dropout rate in distance learning?
There is no uniform, reliable figure. The reason is methodological: in distance learning many people pause rather than drop out for good, and the two can hardly be cleanly separated in the statistics. The only honest statement is therefore that dropouts do occur, mostly for reasons of time.
Do more people drop out in distance learning than in campus study?
That cannot be said in general, because the groups are very different. Distance learners are older, employed and often have a family, and their reasons for an interruption differ greatly from those of young campus students. A direct comparison of the rates quickly leads astray.
Why do people drop out of distance learning?
Usually not because of the difficulty of the subject matter, but because of time. Alongside a full time job and family, the reserve is thin. If it disappears through an intense phase at work, illness or a family change, the study plan starts to slip.
How do I lower my personal risk of dropping out?
Most effectively through fixed, protected study times instead of leftovers here and there, through the option to stretch the studies free of charge if needed, and through the transfer of prior credits, which reduces the workload from the start.
The information on this page is general in nature and is meant as orientation. It does not replace an official credit transfer or recognition decision by the relevant university and is not legal advice. The universities and the responsible bodies decide: the ZAB in Germany, the BMBWF in Austria and the SBFI in Switzerland. Always check your specific case directly with the university before you enrol.