Attrition Cost Model

What is the Attrition Cost Model?

The Attrition Cost Model is a SAS-based program that automatically calculates a state’s annual cost of attrition, which is defined as the proportion of annual higher education expenditures spent on undergraduate students who do not complete a degree.

Why is the Cost of Attrition Important?

An attrition cost is a conceptual dollar figure representing the estimated expenditures that will not result in “success,” which is defined as obtaining a degree from the state’s higher education system. Calculated in a relatively straightforward fashion, attrition costs have implications for the efficiency of the system in producing degrees. A lower attrition cost indicates greater efficiency, implying that investment in the system yields a higher rate of success. It goes without saying, however, that any single indicator cannot fully explain the efficiency of a higher education system. Nevertheless, the cost of attrition sheds light on one aspect of system effectiveness—providing policymakers with a framework to better understand the financial efficiency of the system.

Download Attrition Cost Model from here. (This is a text file. After downloading it, please open it with SAS.)

The user manual of the model is available here.

For any questions, please contact here.