Dive Summary:
- A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston reveals that New England retains fewer recent college graduates than any other region in the U.S., with only 63.6% of the 2008 graduating class still living there a year after graduating.
- Retention rates for New England states like Vermont and Massachusetts are 20% and 52% respectively--rival states like New York and California are able to retain over 75% of their recent grads--and the number of people between 22 and 27 holding at least a bachelor's degree in the region grew only 12.1% between 1990 and 2010.
- Senior economist Alicia Sasser Modestino, who authored the brief, suggests that students are leaving for job-related reasons and not housing costs.
From the article:
... “Contrary to conventional wisdom, recent college graduates are leaving New England primarily for job-related reasons - not housing costs,” Modestino added. “This suggests that states can take tangible steps to retain more recent college graduates by building stronger ties between colleges and employers.” ...