Studies show student attrition remains one of the central operational challenges for universities and colleges across the nation. Research has begun to systematically map risk factors for attrition among undergraduates to address this problem; however, less objective data exists regarding critical factors and variables relating to attrition of doctoral students. Moreover, progress within this paradigm of study may be limited by reliance on attrition models developed for undergraduate populations that are less valid for explaining doctoral level attrition. Accordingly, the focus of this qualitative meta-analytic study was to create a newer attrition meta-model to examine why students leave doctoral programs; identify steps and procedures that can be taken to minimize attrition. Concepts, key results and significant limitations were extracted from existing studies and organized using a typological analysis to assess factors identified in established models of attrition and add more recently identified variables. These data from individual studies suggested a five category meta-model that included transitional cognitive dissonance, interactions with others, sense of fit, mastery, and demographics. These categories were supported individually in existing research and two studies supported all five. The results of this study illustrated past models of attrition were limited, and that a previously unnamed variable, transitional cognitive dissonance, was evident in many studies as having a significant influence on the decision of students to leave doctoral programs. The emergence of this new variable will help add explanatory power to new models of graduate attrition. In turn, results from these models can lead to reducing the loss of doctoral students that is ultimately a loss of human and intellectual resources that can be used to benefit society and enhance social change.