These are the degree subjects which have the highest drop-out rates

Computer sciences and business and administrative studies are among the degree subjects with the highest drop-out rates; with around nine per cent of students dropping out by their second year.

This comes as universities will today be told they “require improvement” by the Office for Students (OfS) if they do not tackle high drop-out rates and improve poor-quality courses.

The student watchdog have already warned that “Mickey Mouse” degrees could be scrapped or lose their funding – basically ones that don’t succeed in getting graduates professional jobs.

The OfS will be setting minimum thresholds for student outcomes, such as how many students complete their degree and what jobs they get. The consultation concludes in March and the new requirements are expected to be in place by the summer.

These are the degree subjects with the highest drop-out rates:

Computer sciences – 9.2 per cent

Business & administrative studies – 8.6 per cent

Mass communications & documentation – 7.6 per cent

Creative arts & design – 7.6 per cent

Subjects allied to medicine – 7.5 per cent

Combined subjects – 7.2 per cent

Agriculture & related subjects – 7.0 per cent

Engineering & technology – 7.0 per cent

Architecture, building & planning – 6.9 per cent

Biological sciences – 6.8 per cent

Education – 6.6 per cent

Social studies – 5.8 per cent

Law – 5.8 per cent

Physical sciences – 4.7 per cent

Mathematical sciences – 4.7 per cent

Languages – 4.3 per cent

Historical & philosophical studies – 4.3 per cent

Medicine & dentistry and veterinary science – 1.4 per cent

Percentage is calculated by entrants to full-time first degree courses who did not continue into their second year, by subject. Source: HESA.

Lord Wharton, chairman of the OfS, wrote in The Times: “We need to protect [students] from poor courses which offer few real benefits. They invest significant amounts of time and money in their studies and should be sure that, if they work hard, they will earn a qualification of value which stands the test of time.”

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