Spanish Abstract: La desercion es entendida como la interrupcion o desvinculacion del proceso academico-institucional que lleva a cabo el estudiante. Identificar los factores asociados a este fenomeno de la desercion es de gran interes para las Instituciones de Educacion Superior –IES–, debido a la limitacion que puede ocasionar en su cumplimiento del proposito fundamental: formar profesionales. En este sentido, la presente investigacion realiza una aproximacion conceptual y metodologica de la desercion estudiantil y analiza este fenomeno para la Universidad EAFIT para las cohortes 2001-1, 2002-1 y 2003-1, en 14 programas de pregrado. Inicialmente se realizo una exploracion descriptiva de algunos indicadores y caracteristicas individuales, socioeconomicas, academicas e institucionales de la poblacion desertora. Una vez realizada la caracterizacion, se aplicaron dos tipo de modelos econometricos (transversal y longitudinal) y se realizo un analisis cualitativo por medio de la aplicacion de una encuesta semiestructurada a desertores de las cohortes en estudio. En los resultados se resalta una desercion en los primeros semestres, asociado principalmente a variables academicas y a una carencia de acertividad en la eleccion de los programas.English Abstract: College desertion is defined as the disruption of higher education undertaken by a student. To identify its causing factors is a subject of great interest for Institutions of Higher Education, because it diminishes the potential to achieve their main purpose: to educate professionals. Therefore, this research approaches college desertion conceptually and methodologically, in order to analyze this phenomenon at EAFIT University. Our sample corresponds to cohorts 2001-1, 2002-1 and 2003-1, belonging to 14 undergraduate programs. Initially the drop-out population was studied through a descriptive exploration of some key indicators and several individual, socio-economic, academic and institutional characteristics. These were followed by two econometric modelings (transversal and longitudinal). Finally a qualitative analysis was made by applying a semi-structured interview to selected students who were classified as deserters. Results highlight a significant early desertion, associated mainly to academic variables and a lack of students’ assertiveness in their choice of undergraduate programs.