A recent Cornell study shows that higher spending on student services and activities, like student organizations, likely results in higher graduation rates.  The study found a higher correlation between high graduation rates and spending on student activities and services than instructional or research spending. By spending an additional $500 per student on student services the study found that a school’s six-year graduation rate would increase by 0.7 percent. Similar spending increases in instructional expenditures and academic support services would increase graduation rates by 0.3 percent. However, a similar increase in spending on budget research expenditures would decrease the graduation rate by 0.7 percent.

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