Impact of the vacancy reservation policy on Unesp dropout rate

Student dropout is a topic of worldwide interest in the field of education research; however, current understanding of the phenomenon remains insufficient, particularly when the objective is to evaluate effective retention policies. The annual dropout rate at UNESP was evaluated based on the admission selection policy. There are three admission categories: the universal exam system; a selection quota for students who studied in public schools; and a selection quota for students who are Black, Brown or Indigenous. The data was classified by course and admittance year. UNESP has campuses in 24 towns, divided into 34 campuses that provide 136 different undergraduate courses. Admission to these courses is conducted by an entrance exam with 186 different options in 63 careers. A comparison of dropout rates shows that these may depend on the admission category, but it varies over time and depends on the course subject. The data also reveal a consistent decrease in the annual dropout rates, according to the admission category.

Keywords:
Higher education; School dropout; Vacancy reserve policy