This document is the first in a series of three documents, which together contains 27 case studies on the uses of cost analysis in educational planning. The case studies have been presented to help planners and administrators see how cost analysis can be used to improve the efficiency of their educational systems, or how to get the best value from existing resources. The ten case studies included in this first volume include cost analysis of education in Asia, Thailand, Ceylon, Tanzania, and the USSR. Other topics considered include the use of capital costs in educational planning in France, factors influencing change in teachers' basic salaries in Tanzania, economic planning and the financing of higher education in the USSR, and evaluating the expansion of a vocational training program in Chile. (Author/DN)