Perceived Factors Associated with Dropout Intention: Compositional Evidence for Sustainable Higher Education from a Colombian Public University

Student dropout represents a significant challenge for the sustainability of higher education systems, particularly in regional public contexts where academic trajectories are heavily shaped by socioeconomic conditions. While prior research typically examines whether students consider leaving, less attention has been given to how they prioritize the factors that may lead to dropout. This study analyzes students’ perceived factors associated with dropout intention at a regional campus of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia using survey data from 287 valid constant-sum responses. The empirical approach combines descriptive statistics, compositional analysis, and k−means clustering on centered log-ratio coordinates. On average, students assigned the greatest weight to socioeconomic factors (42.4 points), followed by personal (32.9) and academic factors (24.6), a pattern reinforced by the compositional center (51.1%, 31.6%, and 17.3%, respectively). Students living in rented housing placed greater emphasis on socioeconomic constraints, while differences across other characteristics were modest. Cluster analysis identified one dominant mixed profile (81.2% of the sample) and several smaller edge profiles, none primarily defined by academic factors alone. These findings indicate that enrolled students perceive potential dropout as a multidimensional set of pressures rather than a single dominant cause, highlighting the need for integrated financial, psychosocial, pedagogical, and academic support strategies to strengthen educational sustainability.