Although some Ohio officials think there is a brain drain that leads talented, young professionals to other states, others say the problem is not that serious.
A 2003 study by the Cleveland Plain Dealer found that 30 percent of 490,000 alumni of 23 public and private colleges in Ohio left the state to find work.
A study by the Urban Affairs Center at the University of Toledo in 2006 , however, concluded that "brain drain is not as common in this state and area as is generally believed, only about 20 percent of 2000 to 2003 graduates left the state, a relatively low percentage."
Of the 20 percent that left, the top three destinations were California, Michigan and Illinois.
To combat the problem, Columbus City Council created the Columbus Youth Commission, a panel comprised of Columbus students and young professionals who advise city council on what they can do to start recruiting students.
"It started a year ago and it is composed of various people, from students who are currently at OSU, Capital and Columbus State to professionals from companies like Nationwide and The Limited to graduate students," said Ryan Fournier, a recent Ohio State graduate and former Undergraduate Student Government president and panel member.
"It's a huge diverse group."
He said there are several reasons why college graduates leave the state. One of the biggest is lack of recruitment.
"I think there isn't a lot of contact between Columbus businesses and the Ohio State community," he said. "There are some recruitment events, but at a campus of this size there can be a lot more done as far as recruiting students. We need to get students and local businesses in the same room."
Steve Strong, a senior in geography, said the Columbus area has a lot to offer.
"For a city of this size, there are so many amenities like bars, arts and restaurants that are pretty affordable," he said. "You can spend $400 a month in rent and take advantage of all of these things, whereas people who go other places that they think are cooler and pay so much for the cost of living that they have to scrap for groceries."
Strong said that although his impression of the Columbus job market is not bad, he fears it is not big enough to employ the large number of students graduating each year from the largest university in the nation.
According to a Boston Chamber of Commerce and Boston Foundation study conducted in 2003, "a substantial out-migration was found due to colleges creating more graduates than the economy can absorb."
Tracy Marsolo, a senior in finance from Youngstown, said she thinks the Columbus job market is strong.
"There's a lot of job offers here, and if I find a job here, I will stay because it is a lot better than Youngstown, where there is nothing to do," she said.
Of the 48,929 U.S. students enrolled at OSU, 15.5 percent of them are from outside of Ohio, which could account for a large number of OSU students leaving Columbus after graduation and going back home.
The Plain Dealer also found people with master's degrees were 30 percent more likely to leave Ohio than those with bachelor's degrees, and those with doctoral degrees were twice as likely to leave.
In other words, those who are more highly educated and skilled are also more likely to leave.
Fournier said he hopes that with the help of the commission, students will recognize what Columbus has to offer.
"There are so many great opportunities here," he said. "There are a lot of great companies in Columbus, including Fortune 500 companies and the cost of living is low compared to other cities. I don't think graduating students are thinking about these things."
Strong said that after graduation, he will stay put, at least for a few months.
"I'll stay in Columbus, but mostly just because I signed a lease and don't want to break it."
Candace Adrian can be reached at adrian.15@osu.edu.
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