Some 29% told the poll for the Learning and Skills Council they later returned to class to boost their earnings.
The UK has one of the highest school drop-out rates in the industrialised world. The LSC research found 30% of drop-outs at the age of 16 return to education within a year, while 59% return within five years.
Although a third said they had gained valuable life skills in their time out, just over a quarter (26%) felt having a break prepared them to continue with their education and training. But some 51% who dropped out for good later regretted this decision, the poll found.
Director of young people's learning at the LSC, Julia Dowd, said she hoped youngsters would be encouraged to think more seriously about their options by the findings. She said: "By getting five good GCSEs or a Level 2 Diploma, they are more likely to be in a good job with prospects and a good wage. We know this because the vast majority of employers we questioned think it is essential for job applicants to have a basic set of qualifications before applying for a job."
Skills Minister Phil Hope added: "The good news is that there has never been so many ways to achieve this minimum level of qualifications. After young people leave compulsory education at 16, they can study a huge variety of courses at college, school or in the workplace. It is never too late to return to learning and change your future for the better."
Five million adults lack functional literacy and more than 17 million have difficulties with numbers. And at least one in six youngsters leave school unable to read, write or add up properly.
Recently a government-commissioned review of skills called for 90% of adults to be qualified to GCSE or equivalent vocational diploma level.
But Lord Leitch's review of skills also suggested there were too many vocational qualifications, many with few benefits.
The Department for Education and Skills has confirmed plans to ensure that all young people remain in school or training until the age of 18. It has set up a variety of initiatives to encourage teenagers to remain in education, training or workplace learning after they reach 16. Under the education maintenance allowance, teenagers from households earning less than £30,000 are paid between £10 and £30 a week to stay on at college or school.
Of the 602,000 17-year-olds in England, 14% are not in education training or employment.
YouGov interviewed 1,110 adults aged 18 and over who had dropped out of education aged 16 or younger.
