Student Dropout in Higher Education: Exploring the Reasons Behind Student Attrition in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Reducing tertiary education dropout rates is a critical concern forhigher education institutions (HEI) due to its significant social, financial,and personal implications. This study aims to initiate region-specificand national research by presenting, for the first time, an insight ofreasons of higher education attrition in Bosnia and Herzegovina(B&H) based on primary data. The data, collected from one of thepublic universities in the country, encompass students who withdrewvoluntarily between 2007 and 2019. A survey of 96 undergraduatestudents who discontinued their studies reveals that approximatelyone-third of the dropouts could have been prevented, as they werelinked to institutional factors. Among the identified reasons—private,institutional, financial, and pedagogical—the primary cause of attritionwas disputes or conflicts with faculty members. These findingshighlight the need for targeted interventions to improve faculty-studentrelationships and address institutional shortcomings to enhance retention.