Factors influencing student success: Heterogeneous effects across fields of study?

This paper investigates factors that influence student success – as an important indicator of Studierbarkeit – across various fields of study. Using Austrian register data, we estimate the effects of multiple characteristics on the probability of graduating from university by applying logistic regression models (N = 481.320). Regarding social background and gender, we find heterogeneous effects across fields of study, but the effect sizes are small. With regard to age, being a mature age student has a strong negative effect on graduating from university across all fields of study. In addition, an interaction between age and school education was found. We argue that the particularities of individual fields of study have to be taken into account when developing measures aimed at improving Studierbarkeit.