ACT Withdrawing/Non-Returning
Student Survey - 2010

Executive Summary:
Sue Erickson
Carmen Williams
Office of Institutional Research
March 2011

The purpose of this study is to assess why students leave the university before completing graduation. During the early fall semester of 2010, the Office of Institutional Research surveyed students who were enrolled for fall semester 2009 but did not return for fall semester 2010. The ACT Withdrawing/Non-Returning Student Survey short form collects demographic information and asks respondents to indicate whether 48 different items played a part in their decision to not return to UND. The survey was mailed to 533 students. Overall, 60 students responded to the survey for a net response rate of 11%.

Highest Ranked Reasons for Leaving UND

• The 48 reasons for leaving are grouped into 5 reason categories: personal (19 reasons), academic (7 reasons), institutional (10 reasons), financial (8 reasons), and employment (4 reasons).

• "Decided to attend a different college" is a reason for 81% of respondents not returning to UND. 64% indicated this is a major reason for not returning to UND.

• "Disappointment with the quality of instruction" is the primary academic reason for leaving UND, with 25% of respondents indicating this is a reason for not returning; 9% indicate this is a major reason.

• "Desired major is not offered by this college" is the top institutional reason for not returning to UND, with 23% of respondents indicating advising played a part in their decision to not return; 21% said desired major not offered was a major reason.

• "Tuition and fees were more than I could afford" is the top financial reason for leaving UND. Fourteen percent (14%) of respondents say this was a reason, with 5% saying it is a major reason.

• Less than ten percent of respondents report employment reasons for leaving UND. Just 2% state "Wanted to get work experience" being a major reason for not returning.

Want to see more information, please click here.