Student dropout and retention: An event history analysis among students in cooperative higher education

•Conscientiousness is a factor for fast dropout in cooperative education.•Affective commitment to one’s company protects from fast attrition.•Low Grade Point Average (GPA) and high university entrance score left cooperative education sooner. There are many reasons why students dropout of higher education. Some reasons may be unique for students who are enrolled in a cooperative study program, because of a second educational player, which is the workplace training side, and the above-average study load may be another factors influencing the student’s decision to leave the program. We analyse a sample of 19,769 cooperative students in Germany, including 852 dropouts. A Cox regression analysis was applied to identify indicators for dropout risk. The results show that personality and commitment to one’s company matter alongside the known determinants of cognitive skills. Recommendations for agents (student advisory services, companies, etc.) that wish to counteract dropout and motivate students’ workplace commitment are incorporated in the conclusions.