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Students from D&G Show Strong University Retention Rates

As many students in the region look forward to moving on with their studies in a university setting this month, Dumfries and Galloway’s Education Directorate learn that the success rates of students from D&G have been on or above the national average at every university in Scotland since 2015.

The Scottish Funding Council have provided data for the first time on the University Retention Rates for Dumfries & Galloway students compared to other local authority and national averages.

This analysis confirms that since 2015-16, the retention of Dumfries & Galloway-domiciled students attending university in Scotland has been higher than the sector average. Notably the Scottish Funding Council has also confirmed that, between 2015-16 and 2018-19, university students hailing from Dumfries and Galloway had higher retention rates at every Higher Education Institute in Scotland except for two, and even then, the differences were negligible.

Given the options for university level study within Dumfries and Galloway, some pupils have had to move away to access their chosen course (although during the pandemic remote learning has been possible).

Schools in Dumfries and Galloway continue to work with universities and partners to plan and support pupils – whether through preparation for the different kind of learning expected at university or the practicalities of living away from home.

Chair of the Education and Learning committee, Jeff Leaver said: “This data is really encouraging and supports what we already believed to be the case – that those students from the region, who chose to, are well prepared and supported to make that move to university education. To those many young people across D&G preparing to start their journey in university education this month, we wish them well with this next step in their learning – whether it’s in Dumfries, or learning remotely or leaving home, we know it is an exciting time.”
Vice Chair, Ros Surtees, said: “It’s excellent to hear this analysis and we know that Schools give great emphasis on planning for university entrance, so this feedback is crucial to allow evaluation for improvement. The step to university for our young people gives opportunity to grow not just as a student but also as a person. Good luck to all those who are starting their university journey this month.”

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