Statistical & Qualitative Data Analysis Software: About SAS

What is SAS?

SAS is a command-driven software package used for statistical analysis and data visualization. It is available only for Windows operating systems. It is arguably one of the most widely used statistical software packages in both industry and academia.

Why use SAS?

• Enormous array of statistical methods and algorithms, especially for advanced statistics.
• Highly customizable analysis options and output options.
• Publication-quality graphics with ODS.
• Widely used in many fields, including business and medicine.
• Large, active online community.

What file types are typically associated with SAS?

• *.sas - A SAS script.
• *.sas7bdat - A SAS data file.
• *.sd7 - SAS Version 8.2 dataset.
• *.sd2 - SAS Version 6 for Windows dataset.
• *.ssd01 - SAS Version 6 for Unix dataset.
• *.xpt - Transport file.

What version of SAS does Kent State currently use?

As of January 2020, Kent State uses SAS 9.4. Note that SAS is only compatible with Windows operating systems.

For Mac Users

If you are a Mac user and are enrolled in a course that uses SAS, your professor may instruct you to use SAS University Edition or SAS OnDemand for Academics. Both options are free, can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. SAS OnDemand for Academics is a cloud-based service (and is accessed through the browser), while SAS University Edition runs locally on your computer using virtualization software. For most users, SAS UE and SAS ODA will be sufficient; however, they do lack some of specialized statistics that are available in the "full" version of SAS that Kent State licenses.

SAS University Edition will be discontinued in July 2021. New users should instead use SAS OnDemand for Academics, which is a cloud-based version of SAS Studio. SAS OnDemand for Academics is free, but requires creating an account.

Kent State University maintains a university-wide, limited seat license for SAS. All currently-employed faculty and staff, as well as currently-enrolled students are eligible to request a copy of SAS at no charge. The Division of Information Technology currently distributes SAS 9.4 software and licenses. SAS licenses must be renewed yearly. Note that SAS is only available for Windows operating systems.

University-Owned Computers

Please contact your local support person to receive a copy of the software or to renew your existing license.

• Kent campus departments - local desktop support contacts
• Regional campuses - local desktop support contacts

Personally-Owned Computers

Faculty/Staff/Currently enrolled students

Visit software.kent.edu to download a copy of the software or renew your license.

If you encounter problems while installing SAS, you may bring your computer to the Tri-Towers Tech Help desk. Please note that because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Tech Help Desk may require an appointment. Please see the Tech Help Desk Services and Hours before visiting.

For Mac Users

Mac users who do not wish to use virtualization software to run the Windows operating system on their Macs may be interested in SAS University Edition or SAS OnDemand for Academics. Both options are free, but they are not distributed by the university. Individuals wanting to use either of these softwares should follow the instructions at the respective site to install and/or register to use them. (Please note that SAS University Edition will be discontinued in July 2021, so SAS OnDemand for Academics is the preferred choice for new users.)

SAS Tips

• If you're looking for help using a specific SAS procedure (such as PROC REG), use the search terms "sas proc reg". This will usually retrieve tutorials geared towards that specific procedure.
• If you know the statistic or method you want but aren't sure what SAS procedure to use, try searching for "SAS" and the name of the statistical method (e.g. "SAS linear regression", "SAS mixed models", "SAS descriptive statistics").
  • In some cases, there may be more than one procedure that can perform a certain analysis.

Recommended Tutorials

Recommended Books

SAS Documentation

Customer Support