<p>"It would be nice if these schools could spend a little money and track these "dropouts"."</p>
<p>It's not just a matter of money. Until recently, it was nearly impossible to get information on where students had enrolled. Unless they told you personally, what are you going to do? </p>
<p>However, more analysis is possible with the widespread participation in the National Student Loan Clearinghouse. It's not just for people with loans--they maintain data on who is enrolled where. This was originally just so the govt and other entities could ascertain that students really were enrolled, but now it is being used more widely, by participating institutions, to learn where students enroll after they leave.</p>