The number of third level students who did not progress from first to second year has risen to 15%, according to the latest data from the Higher Education Authority.
The data relates to 2021/2022 and is up by three percentage points on the previous year.
Dropout rates fell to a record low of 9% in 2019/2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic led to remote lectures and open book exams for students. While a rise was expected as college life returned to normal, the proportion of students failing to progress is now higher than it was prior to the pandemic.
Just prior to the pandemic the non-progression rate was at 12%. It returned to this level in 2020/2021.
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are most likely to drop out - 23% of them do not make it to second year. Those from affluent families are most likely to progress. Male students are more likely to drop out, at 18%, compared to 13% of female students.
The HEA found that lower Leaving Certificate points were also strongly associated with a lower rate of progression.
HEA Head of Skills, Engagement and Statistics Dr Vivienne Patterson said: "It is vital that we understand the challenges that students are experiencing in a post-Covid environment. Mental health and wellbeing, connectedness and belonging are all central to furthering our understanding to better support student success."
UCD Student Union President Martha Ní Riada cited the housing and cost-of-living crises as impacting on drop-out rates.
"The main challenges that we see, obviously, the housing crisis has a massive impact on it, and the cost-of-living crisis that, if you're commuting two, three hours a day, it's going to be very, very difficult to stay in college.
"So, often, people are forced to drop out of college.
"It's not something that they necessarily want to do"
Commenting on the findings, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris said Ireland's rising level of drop outs are in line with other countries including the UK, Australia and New Zealand,
In a large-scale survey of students the most common reason cited for dropping out is personal and family. The second most common is financial. Other reasons include not enjoying the course or workload.
Mr Harris pointed out that the students of 2021/2022 had spent the final years of their school lives at home, carrying out their studies primarily online.
He said: "There's a real obligation on us as a society, and as education sector, to say how do we best support this generation, this Covid generation?"
40% enroll in another course after a year - CSO
Separate data released by the Central Statistics Office sheds light on what those who did not progress from first to second year did next.
The CSO has found that 40% of new entrants who did not progress were enrolled in another education course after one year.
Female students who did not progress were more likely to be in education after one year compared to males.
Male students who did not progress were more likely to be working after one year compared to females. Just over half of males to dropped out were working compared to 43% of females.
The majority of those students who joined the workforce after leaving college prematurely were working in the Wholesale & Retail and Accommodation & Food Service sectors.
The CSO has found that nearly two-in-five of non-progressed male students, who studied Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction and were in employment after one year, were working in the Construction or Industry sectors.
Non-progression rates are highest among students on courses in the Services category, at 28%. This is followed by Engineering, Manufacturing & Construction at 20%.
Funding for additional medical places
Minister Harris also announced funding for 25 additional medical places which will be made available for qualifying students from Ireland or Northern Ireland in Queens University Belfast from September 2024.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said students who avail of this Government funding must agree to carry out their internship in the Republic of Ireland.
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A further 25 places will be made available in September 2025 bringing the total number of additional places available to 50.
These places will be co-funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Health.
Students who take up these places will pay the same student contribution rate as their counterparts studying in any of the six medical schools in Ireland and will commit to applying to take up a position in the HSE as an intern at the end of their studies.
