Half of transgender and non-binary students have considered dropping out of university and they tend to have lower continuation rates than their peers, according to new analysis.

Researchers working on a Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) heard how transgender and non-binary students felt they lived in a ¡°climate that is playing on our downfall¡±,?with a government that was ¡°actively hostile¡±.

These groups have been thrown into the?centre of a debate in higher education?in recent years that asks how best to protect students from harassment while balancing universities¡¯ responsibilities to promote free speech.

The Hepi study ¨C the first to collate various data sources to build up a more evidence-based picture of the experiences of transgender and non-binary students ¨C says the ¡°line where robust discussion and disagreement crosses into harassment or discrimination can be complex and nuanced¡±.

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Campus resource: ¡®Strengthening institution-wide commitment to trans inclusion is more important than ever¡¯

It recommends that ¡°universities take steps to educate students and staff on engaging in informed debate which is, as much as possible, respectful; to engage a wide variety of perspectives; and to empower all groups of students to put forward their views¡±.

The study also finds that transgender and non-binary people face additional challenges throughout their university experience and beyond:

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• Nearly a quarter of transgender applicants have experience of care and are more likely to have a disability, potentially adding barriers at the point of applying to university
• Half of transgender students and 49 per cent of non-binary students have considered withdrawing from university ¨C most commonly because of mental health issues. This compares with 28 per cent of the whole student population
• Sixteen per cent of transgender students failed to progress to the next stage of their degree in the 2020-21 academic year, compared with 10 per cent of other students
• These students earn on average ?2,000 less 15 months after graduation than their peers and are also less likely to be employed in ¡°managerial¡± and ¡°professional¡± roles.

The?paper also?suggests several changes universities could make to improve the experience of transgender and non-binary students, including more consistent data collection; more of a focus on career advice; appointing a named contact for issues related to gender identity and better training for staff.

Josh Freeman, Hepi¡¯s policy manager, said the discussion around the experiences of transgender and non-binary students ¡°has not always been evidence-led¡± and so the research hoped ¡°to ground the debate in the best data available¡±.

He said the findings ¡°show that it is difficult to be a trans and non-binary student today and these students may need more support with their well-being, finances and careers than other students¡±, but there were also positives, with many having experiences that exceeded expectations.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com