The Students' Union reports that 44% of students did not complete their studies over the past year.
The survey was conducted among more than 16,000 students and students from all over Israel in the wake of the opening of the school year. It indicates a significant setback in academic progress, sense of security, and economic and mental condition of the students in the wake of the war.
More than 70,000 students were called up for reserve duty. Many of the students reported that they had to postpone courses to the next semester or to the following year.
According to the survey, more than half of the students feel a significant decrease in their sense of security on campus since the beginning of the fighting. In addition, 51% of the students stated that they receive financial support from their parents. This is the first year that this figure is higher than half of the students.
According to the Council for Higher Education, despite the war, the number of students in higher education institutions increased compared to the previous year, especially in graduate programs and among women.
Nevertheless, the data do not reflect the group of students who suspended their studies or dropped out of academia due to the war or the extent of their reserve days.
333,770 students were enrolled in the 57 academic institutions in Israel last year. Their number is expected to grow to about 334,600 this year. Of the 253,790 students who studied for a bachelor's degree, 40% studied in the academic colleges, 35% studied in the universities, 16% studied in the Open University, and 9% studied in the academic colleges.
The number of students in the high-tech fields continues to rise, and in particular the share of women in high-tech is rising. In total 37,810 students in engineering programs last year, which is about 18% of all bachelor’s degree students who studied in universities and colleges.