A Discrete-Time Survival Analysis of Student Departure from College

Survival Analysis is important in many areas. In medical research, the length of time between onset and cessation of a disease is of vital importance as well as the length of time required for a drug to reach therapeutic levels in the body. In business, product life and employee turnover, both measures of duration, are parts of corporate planning. In the social sciences, political scientists study the long- term impact of political decisions, while sociologists are concerned with the lasting effects of poverty on children and the long-term effect of admittance to a nursing home on the elderly. Duration of college enrollment is of the up-most importance to college educators. It is safe to assume that a democratic society functions best with a literate populace. Consequently, educational policy makers must become better informed about individual and social factors that affect student academic decision-making, considering the individual, institutional, and societal costs associated with student departure. This study analyzed the departure patterns exhibited by students enrolled in a large, private church-related university over a six-year period.