Danish research: Sober higher education students face greater risk of dropping out

People who drink moderately during intro shenanigans at university have a better chance of remaining in school

Perhaps the wild partying that takes place during fresher week at university isn’t such a bad thing after all.

New research from the Danish Evaluation Institute (EVA) – which investigates the
quality of daycare centres, schools and educational programs
– found that most students who don’t drink alcohol during the first introductory period of their higher education tend to drop out.

The research showed that the students who don’t drink at the beginning of their higher education stood a greater chance of dropping out within the first year of their studies compared to students who drank moderately.

Students who had a high frequency of alcohol consumption were also in greater danger of dropping out. Both they and sober students had a drop-out rate that was about 2 percent higher than moderate drinkers.

“It’s expected that students with a very high alcohol consumption tend to drop out more, but it’s surprising that students who don’t drink drop out more often,” said Bjarke Tarpgaard Hartkopf, a project manager with EVA who led the research team.

“It could indicate that educational institutions should consider whether alcohol consumption plays a too dominant role during the intro weeks at the beginning of studies.”

READ MORE: Every second Danish university student feels lonely

Social successes
Another of the report’s findings was that a longer intro process offering sound social activities reduces the risk of students dropping out.

Overall, the research also revealed that almost one third of the higher education drop-out students do so during the first three months, while over 50 percent will have done so by the end of the first year.

Read the entire report here (in Danish).




  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

  • Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Copenhagen’s international community is not just a demographic trend – it’s a lifeline. Our hospitals, kindergartens, construction sites, laboratories and restaurants rely on talent from all over the world. In fact, more than 40% of all job growth in the city over the past decade has come from international employees.

  • The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    With half of the population of Copenhagen at Roskilde this week, Eva away in Aalborg and the weather being a bit of a joke , Melissa and Rachel bring you a chatty episode to cheer you up looking into three of the top stories in Denmark this week.

  • A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    The Tour de France has started and thus the news focus in Denmark for the next few weeks is defined. The double Tour winner will once again compete with the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar to stand at the top in Paris. Many Danes will daily follow whether one of the nation’s great sons succeeds

  • Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    The 53rd edition of Roskilde Festival ended Saturday night. More than 100,000 people gathered to listen to music, party, drink – and for many to take a stand on the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system