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Understanding US college graduate migration

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  • Heather M. Stephens

    (West Virginia University)

Abstract

Previous research has shown that understanding the migration habits of college graduates is important because there is evidence of a link between human capital, proxied by an educated workforce, and economic growth. While a number of papers have investigated the motivations for migration by college graduates in other countries or between US regions, few studies have examined US college graduate migration at the regional level or used individual-level data. To help understand the post-graduation location decisions of recent US college graduates, we surveyed graduates of California State University, Long Beach, a large, state-supported university in the nation’s second-largest metropolitan area. Long Beach, despite being the home to this large university, lags the region in numbers of college-educated residents. The region has also experienced substantial economic restructuring. The results suggest that amenities play a strong role in where graduates choose to locate and that cities should do more to build connections with students in order to retain their talents post-graduation.

Suggested Citation

  • Heather M. Stephens, 2019. "Understanding US college graduate migration," Journal of Geographical Systems, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 509-531, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jgeosy:v:21:y:2019:i:4:d:10.1007_s10109-019-00310-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10109-019-00310-5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Human capital; Migration; Regional economic growth; Education;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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