Dropout rates of up to 75 per cent (in classics at TCD) were found in the HEA report. But some courses - like journalism at DCU - had a very low rate of 3.6 per cent. The following is a guide to the pattern in each university.
UCD: The highest dropout rate - 20 per cent - was in architecture and science. Over 19 per cent failed to complete agriculture and engineering. Almost 17 per cent failed to complete arts and more than 14 per cent failed to finish social science. Commerce, medicine and veterinary medicine had non-completion rates below 5 per cent. Law had a 2.5 per cent rate.
NUI Galway: One of the most worrying statistics here was the 40 per cent non-completion rate in chemistry. Other science subjects showed relatively high levels, including computing (28 per cent), physics (21 per cent) and environmental science (19 per cent).
The picture in engineering was also gloomy. Over 20 per cent of students failed to finish mechanical engineering and 19 per cent failed to finish industrial engineering. In other areas, arts had a dropout rate of 13 per cent. Six per cent of commerce students failed to finish the course.
NUI Maynooth: The pattern here was the most dramatic. Over 42 per cent of all science students failed to complete the course. Over 23 per cent of arts students dropped-out and 13 per cent of finance students failed to finish.
Trinity College Dublin: Some dropout rates were very high with 75 per cent in classics and 55 per cent in theoretical physics, but both courses, in fairness, attract very low numbers.
More alarmingly, there was a 33 per cent drop-out rate from the computer science course.
The following was the noncompletion rate in other courses: law (six per cent); engineering (16 per cent); pharmacy (8 per cent); medicine (9 per cent); dentistry (14 per cent); business studies with a language (14 per cent) and psychology (10 per cent). Almost 25 per cent failed to finish its two-subject arts degree.
UCC: The highest dropout rate - 34 per cent - was in its BA in computer studies followed by music (22 per cent).
Its chemical, maths and physical science degree had a 20 per cent rate.
Other rates included: commerce (9 per cent); arts (16 per cent); civil engineering (17 per cent) and dentistry (4 per cent).
DCU: The highest dropout rate was on its applied maths course at 47 per cent. Other high dropout rates were found on its four international marketing and languages courses (ranging between 24 and 44 per cent, depending on the language studied).
Biotechnology - currently in vogue - had a dropout rate of 40 per cent. Applied physics had a 39 per cent rate. Other dropout rates included: business studies (13 per cent); accounting and finance (14 per cent), computer applications (25 per cent); analytical science (29 per cent).
University of Limerick: The worst performer here was production and industrial engineering, where 50 per cent failed to finish the course.
Other courses with poor rates were languages and computing (47 per cent); engineering (38 per cent); business studies and a modern language (35 per cent); applied physics (30 per cent); manufacturing technology (37 per cent).