Almost 63% of new entrants at the upper secondary level of education in 2017 had graduated in 2021. The completion rate, i.e. the proportion of new entrants who have graduated, has never been higher since Statistics Iceland began publishing data on new entrants in 1995. Dropout increased slightly, as 20.5% of new entrants in 2017 had dropped out four years after entering, but 19.9% of new entrants in 2016. Almost 17% of new entrants in the autumn of 2017 were still in education without having graduated four years after entering, the lowest rate measured.
Six out of ten graduates in 2018-2019 not enrolled in October 2019
Statistics Iceland publishes for the first time data on the status of graduates at the upper secondary level in the year after graduation. The results show that 61.8% of graduates in the 2018-2019 school year were not enrolled in school in October 2019, 55.8% of graduates from general education and 72.0% of graduates from vocational programmes. Participation in the labour market was greater among graduates from vocational programmes, as 57.5% were employed but 43.2% of graduates from general programmes. Those who were in the labour market as well as being enrolled in school are counted as students in these data.
The OECD is planning to publish similar data for a part of their member countries in September.
Young immigrants are more likely to graduate than those who are older when moving to Iceland Statistics Iceland also publishes for the first time data on the completion rate and dropout at the upper secondary level six years after enrolling, by the age of immigrants when moving to Iceland. The data show that the completion rate of immigrants, who moved to Iceland before the age of seven, was much higher than among immigrants, who were seven years old or older when moving to the country. The completion rate of immigrants who moved to Iceland before the age of seven, was 66.7% six years after enrolling, but 36.7% among those who were seven years old or older when moving to the country. The completion rate was 63.6% for second generation immigrants and 70.9% among non-immigrants. In addition, the dropout rate was much higher for immigrants who were seven years old or older when moving to Iceland, than among students with another background.
What is dropout?
Dropout from education can be defined in a number of ways. The method used for these data is to follow up on new entrants in day courses in the autumn after four years, six years and seven years, the so-called cohort rate.
About the data
New entrants are students who were registered in programmes at the upper secondary level of education in the autumn for the first time, since the start of the Statistics Iceland Student register in 1975. All day course students of all ages are included. Graduates are those who have graduated from upper secondary programmes of at least two years’ duration. Students still in education are those students who are studying in day courses, evening courses or by distance learning at the upper secondary or tertiary levels of education in Iceland in the autumn, who have not graduated. Dropouts are those who have not graduated and are not in education. Statistics Iceland has data on the completion rate and dropout at the upper secondary level starting with new entrants in 1995.
Information on the background of students is derived from population data. Immigrants are those who were born abroad and have both parents of foreign origin. Exchange students, who stay in Iceland for one year, are included in the data.