The Cost of Cutting Class: Attendance As A Predictor of Success

A study of three hundred undergraduates enrolled in a general education course at a large mid-western state university revealed, as expected, a strong negative correlation between absences and final grades. Although the complex equation for academic success involves many more variables than attendance alone, some of which are also considered in this article, attendance should be one of the easiest variables for students to control. Students who wish to succeed academically should attend class, and instructors should likewise encourage class attendance.