Ohio college graduates are not in a hurry to get out of Ohio.
A study completed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland concludes 66 percent of college graduates from 2000 remained in Ohio in 2001. The study was completed as part of a broad-based analysis of economic trends in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“These numbers aren’t really uncommon for most of the country. Most states have a retention rate for their graduates of somewhere between 60 and 70 percent,” said Janet Bachmann, spokesperson for the National Center on Educational Statistics. “We find that nationally, a large percentage of the students that do leave their home state after college are going to Florida and California.” The same is true for Ohio – as far as graduates moving to Florida and California.
The study showed a significant number of Ohio graduates move to California, Florida and New York. Other states that receive a large amount of Ohio graduates include Colorado, Indiana and Michigan.
There is a strong presence of Ohio firms at the career fairs hosted by Ohio State, which may encourage OSU students to stay in state. Morgan Stanley, Huntington Banks and Proctor & Gamble have made appearances at the OSU job fairs.
“A lot of the businesses that come to the OSU job fairs come because they are looking to find prospective employees that are willing to work here. It’s usually easier to find someone who is willing to stay in Ohio than come to Ohio,” said Kristin Hill, an office assistant for OSU’s Career Services. “The majority of the businesses that come have local offices, so recruiting from OSU makes sense.”
Many students that do move out of Ohio stay in the Midwest area, according to the Federal Reserve study.
“You always think about family when considering where you are going to move,” said Matt Sinkovich, a 2003 OSU graduate. “I work in Chicago so it’s not impossible for me to get home if I want to.”
According to the study, one economic reason contributing significantly to the number of students that leave Ohio is the struggling labor market in the region.
The study states, “A number of critical industries in both states (Ohio and Pennsylvania) underwent significant job reductions both before and during the recession.”
“I don’t mind staying in-state,” said Hai Ngo, a 2003 OSU graduate. “I’m working here now, but ultimately I’m going to go wherever my career takes me, whether it’s in state or not.”
Other reasons students give why they want to leave Ohio include climate, geography and a more energetic lifestyle.
“I’m from Ohio, but I’ve lived in Florida most of my life,” said Connor Main, a junior in business. “Nothing against Ohio, but Florida is just better – it’s not hard to figure out. The weather is better, the sun actually exists there and the lifestyle is simply more exciting.”
