One in three Australians fail to complete a university degree within six years of enrolling, according to data released by the Department of Education on Wednesday.

On average, just 66.7 percent of Australian students who enrolled in a course in 2009 completed their studies within six years, showed the data.

"We continue to see around one in three students failing to complete the course they initially enroll in," Education Minister Simon Birmingham said Wednesday.

"It's a reminder to students as they consider university offers now to think carefully about what the course is and what the university is and make sure it is a good fit for them for the future."

The University of Melbourne had the highest completion rate with 88 percent, followed by the University of Sydney and Canberra's Australian National University (ANU), while just 40 percent of enrolled students at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory completed their degree within six years.

Professor Clare Pollock, deputy vice-chancellor at Flinders University, said the reasons for dropouts were varied, explaining that the age of the students and whether or not part-time or full-time study was suitable often influenced the decision.

She said the gradual rise in popularity of online courses could also help raise the completion rates for university students in the future.

"Older students in particular, who may be undertaking study to bolster their career options, want to be able to integrate work and study and maintain balance in their private lives," Pollock told News Corp.

source: Xinhua