THE number of students dropping out of university in Scotland has reached its lowest level for twenty years, new figures show.

An official report shows 6.2 per cent of undergraduates left before the end of their first year in 2016 compared to a high of more than one in ten more than a decade ago.

The declining drop out rates mean Scotland is now above the UK average for the first time.

The highest drop-out rates were at institutions which traditionally recruit a higher proportion of students from more disadvantaged backgrounds such as Abertay, in Dundee, Queen Margaret and Napier in Edinburgh and the University of the West of Scotland.

Analysis: We have taken major steps to improve support available to students

These students are often the first in their family to enter higher education and may also have to cope with financial pressures, making it harder to complete their studies.

The figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show the lowest drop-out rates were at the Royal Conservatoire, in Glasgow, and the universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh.

Alastair Sim, director of Universities Scotland, said all institutions had worked hard to improve retention rates.

He said: “The fact this is the first time in 19 years retention rates in Scotland are better than the UK is significant and a cause for celebration. “The sector and individual institutions have dedicated significant time and effort to ensure students get the most of their studies.

“Retention is such an important part of the task of widening access and our goal is to support students to achieve successful outcomes.

“We know the work to improve retention will continue at all our universities with continued investment in student support.”

Jodie Waite, vice-president of student body NUS Scotland, called for greater financial support for student to prevent drop-outs for financial reasons.

She said: “That’s why we need to make sure that students have the right academic, financial, and mental health support to remain, and succeed, in education once they get there.”

Analysis: We have taken major steps to improve support available to students

Mary Senior, Scottish official for the UCU lecturers’ union, welcomed the improvement, but called for even more to be done.

She said: “Quitting a course can have a very real and negative impact on the student and is not what Scotland’s universities want to see.

“With the focus very much on widening access we need to ensure increasing the number of students from different backgrounds also means them successfully completing their courses.”

The Scottish Government also stressed the importance of supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds - particularly because the sector has been challenged to increase the number of deprived students over the next few years.

Analysis: We have taken major steps to improve support available to students

A government spokesman said: “If we are to be truly successful in delivering our ambition for fair access then it is vital that what we deliver is access to success, in terms of retention, qualifications and outcomes.”

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has provided some £15 million of funding to support access and retention in 2017/18.

John Kemp, interim chief executive of the SFC, said the body would use outcome agreements with individual institutions to drive even further progress.

He said: “These figures show more people continuing into second year at a Scottish university which is good news, but we want to do even better. “For our next round of outcome agreements we have asked universities to continue work on identifying and addressing barriers to retention for all students, but especially for students from deprived backgrounds.”