Student attrition in higher education institutions has long been an area of concern. Voluntary withdrawal of nursing and midwifery students from courses is an increasing trend. A review of student records was conducted to examine the reasons for withdrawal from pre-registration midwifery programmes at University Campus Suffolk. Wrong career choice was identified by the majority of students who withdrew voluntarily. These findings were used in conjunction with theoretical frameworks to establish ways of improving selection and recruitment strategies to reduce attrition on midwifery courses. These approaches should provide students with a sense of the institution’s commitment to their integration and socialisation into the educational and clinical practice environment.