Objective To understand the situation of students' withdrawal from school due to illness in Guangxi in the past 8 years and analyze the reasons, so as to provide the evidence for improving the educational management and preventive health work of colleges and universities. Methods According to the relevant management data of the school registration office and school hospital preventive health department, a retrospective survey was conducted on the school leave of college students who obtained formal school status during the 2009-2016 academic years. Results The average annual incidence of sick leave and dropout in a university in Guangxi during the 2009-2016 academic years was 1.12‰, and the total dropout rate for leave dropped year by year, but the rate increased slightly in 2015 and 2016. The total drop-out rate of sick leave among all grades was the highest in grade one, followed by grade two, and the lowest in grade four. The drop-out rate of sick leave in the boys was higher than that in the girls. Mental diseases and infectious diseases were the two major causes of sick leave. Accidental injuries and chromic no-commu-nicable discases have become the two main causes that cause college students to dropout of school. Conclusion The prevention of mental illness is the focus of health work in ordinary colleges and universities. It is necessary to strengthen the mental health education of college students from the beginning of freshmen, and to continue to effectively prevent and control infectious diseases, and also actively carry out the health education and health promotion on accidental injuries and chronic non-communicable diseases.