An Analysis of the Effect of Cognitive Factors on Students’ Attritions in Engineering: A Literature Review

Schools of engineering throughout the United States are currently experiencing high student attrition rates, which greatly concerns institutions of higher learning and the nation itself due to the significant need for well-qualified and prepared engineers. In response, a large number of studies have been conducted to solve the attrition puzzle. To gain a better understanding of engineering attrition, this paper provides a review of relevant empirical studies. This review aims to identify the effects of cognitive factors in both high school and college on engineering undergraduates’ attrition behaviors. After careful examination, this paper discusses several conclusions that could help schools of engineering better predict their student retention.