Nearly $4 billion was spent by federal, state, and local governments over five years on full-time community college students who dropped out after their first year without completing their certificate or degree programs, according to the new report, “The Hidden Costs of Community Colleges”, from AIR and College Measures.
Using U.S. Department of Education data, we have analyzed full-time students who didn’t return for a second year, while adjusting figures to account for students who transferred to four-year institutions. The cost of dropouts would be higher if part-time students and other government funding, such as direct federal support and capital expenditures, were included in the analysis.
With states and localities spending far more than the federal government on community colleges, and nearly every state facing serious budget shortfalls, the cost of community college dropouts to state taxpayers is especially troubling.
Below, you can use our interactive web tool to see how much has been spent in taxpayer dollars to educate these non-returning community college students, both at the state and institution level. In addition to the community colleges reviewed in the report, private for-profit and private not-for-profit institutions are shown below. To access the full report, please click here.
| Estimated First-Year Attrition |
|
17% |
Rank: 27 |
| Statewide Cost of Attrition |
|
$14,120,478 |
Rank: 24 |
| Two-Year Institution | Estimated First-Year Attrition |
State Appropriations Lost |
Student Grants Lost |
Cost of First Year Attrition |
| Allen County Community College | 17% |
$281,197 |
$104,419 |
$385,616 |
| Barton County Community College | 15% |
$342,984 |
$60,166 |
$403,150 |
| Brown Mackie College-Kansas City | 25% |
$0 |
$107,188 |
$107,188 |
| Brown Mackie College-Salina | 24% |
$0 |
$128,220 |
$128,220 |
| Butler Community College | 16% |
$881,498 |
$211,503 |
$1,093,001 |
| Cloud County Community College | 20% |
$235,732 |
$69,670 |
$305,402 |
| Coffeyville Community College | 17% |
$770,820 |
$158,751 |
$929,572 |
| Colby Community College | 13% |
$149,741 |
$30,596 |
$180,338 |
| Cowley County Community College | 17% |
$548,704 |
$121,162 |
$669,866 |
| Dodge City Community College | 21% |
$617,896 |
$67,405 |
$685,301 |
| Donnelly College | 15% |
$0 |
$18,724 |
$18,724 |
| Flint Hills Technical College | 21% |
$111,426 |
$25,921 |
$137,347 |
| Fort Scott Community College | 17% |
$284,783 |
$88,645 |
$373,428 |
| Garden City Community College | 15% |
$569,660 |
$96,699 |
$666,359 |
| Hesston College | 9% |
$0 |
$29,674 |
$29,674 |
| Highland Community College | 21% |
$276,335 |
$118,331 |
$394,667 |
| Hutchinson Community College | 14% |
$985,255 |
$147,303 |
$1,132,559 |
| Independence Community College | 24% |
$487,909 |
$104,300 |
$592,209 |
| Johnson County Community College | 16% |
$2,234,463 |
$167,414 |
$2,401,876 |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College | 17% |
$964,784 |
$130,194 |
$1,094,978 |
| Labette Community College | 19% |
$332,729 |
$57,277 |
$390,006 |
| Manhattan Area Technical College | 15% |
$94,564 |
$20,364 |
$114,927 |
| Neosho County Community College | 18% |
$265,202 |
$60,301 |
$325,503 |
| North Central Kansas Technical College | 15% |
$250,846 |
$0 |
$250,846 |
| Northeast Kansas Technical Center | 0% |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| Northwest Kansas Technical College | 10% |
$140,751 |
$0 |
$140,751 |
| Pratt Community College | 16% |
$334,613 |
$44,448 |
$379,061 |
| Seward County Community College and Area Technical School | 16% |
$553,474 |
$46,686 |
$600,160 |
| Wichita Area Technical College | 11% |
$189,750 |
$0 |
$189,750 |