The number of students taking T-levels has increased each year, and there were 16,085 entries in the 2023-2024 academic year.
The 7,262 students who graduated in July 2024 had an overall pass rate of 88.7%, down from 90.5% in 2023.
But many T-level students do not complete their course. Retention rates for most A-levels and other equivalent qualifications are consistently above 90%.
In comparison, only 71% of the 10,253 students who started T-levels in 2022 completed the two-year programme.
The dropout rate for first-year health and science T-level students was over 31 percent. According to a report by the Education Policy Institute.
About half of these students drop out altogether, it said.
A third of students failed to complete legal, finance and accounting courses.
As well as problems with the range of subjects available, there have also been problems with the quality of teaching.
In July 2024, exam watchdog Ofqual NCFE exam board fined £300,000 for “major failings”. 2022 with papers from 1,200 Health and Science T-level students.