This chapter provides an overview of the cohorts whose outcomes are assessed in the previous chapters. The number of non-progressors broken down by NFQ level and field of study are highlighted, as well as the proportion of those who had a valid PPSN as part of their record. The outcomes analyses carried out for this report are dependent on the presence of a valid PPSN, as a pseudonymised version of this number is the basis of linking between discrete data sources.
Whilst the tables below primarily present the non-progressed cohort, as these are the focus of the other chapters, the total number of new entrants can be examined in the relevant PxStat tables accompanying this release.
The total number of new entrants (including those who progressed or transferred to another institution) by year is presented in Table 5.1 below to help guide the interpretation of the rest of this report. As can be observed, the proportion of new entrants deemed to be non-progressors was greatest in 2022, when it was around 13%, and lowest for the 2020 cohort (8%).
The majority of the non-progressor cohort were originally enrolled at NFQ Level 8, with the fewest non-progressors at NFQ Level 6 in all years. For the total new entrant cohort by NFQ level, refer to the accompanying PxStat table NPO07.
In the latest non-progression year assessed (academic year 2022/23), the highest proportion of non-progressors (relative to total new entrants) was seen for new entrants to ‘Services’ courses, at 24%. This was followed by ‘Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction’ and ‘Arts and Humanities’, at 14% and 12% respectively. In contrast, Education had the smallest proportion of non-progressors across the majority of years examined in this release, with 4% of the latest new entrant cohort not progressing.
As the assessment of an individual’s outcomes is dependent on linking their enrolment record to other administrative datasets, individuals who lacked a valid PPSN as part of their record are excluded from all outcomes-related analyses.
The proportion of those with a valid PPSN as part of their record was reasonably high, but the overall numbers of non-progressors broken down by whether their record included this are presented below.
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