South Carolina Student Retention Survey

[waccamatt]

Isn't it typical that college students often settle in the area where they went to college? This is one of the reasons Columbia has such a young average age. I would assume that to also be true for Souh Carolina residents going to school in other states - they often end up settling in the area they attended college.

[GvilleSC]

There's an interesting article today in the "Post and Courier" about growth issues in the area. At one point it talks about young people leaving the area for college with few returning. I wonder how this relates to the recent study talked about in another forum that said the majority of South Carolina college students who are from S.C. are now staying in the state after graduating, with the majority of them staying in the urban areas where the university they attended is located? USC - 27,000 students, Clemson 13,000 students, etc.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/ja...discussed27136/

[Spartan]

It partly comes down to a city's employment base. Columbia and Greenville have the most professional jobs, so they are going to attract more young professionals out of Clemson and Carolina. Charleston has its share too, but it doesn't appear to be at the level of the other two. Thats why when you look at SC's second tier urban centers like Spartanburg and Myrtle Beach, you don't see that level of YP population. Cities are where the jobs are, and where people want to be. If SC can't make all of its urban centers more appealing to the YP population, then we will continue to see them leave (e.g.: me). Granted that I am close and will likely be a boomerang.

[krazeeboi]

Well, Lord knows I've been in this area for much longer than I've wanted to, LOL. I do think that a lot of college students who attended school in significantly-sized cities/metro areas often stay in those areas after graduation; I don't really consider someone who attended Winthrop and subsequently moved to Charlotte as one that has "moved away" since Rock Hill and Charlotte are in the same metro area. However, you will find that students who attended college in a much smaller place like Orangeburg often bolt for the door the moment they graduate (and with good reason).

[GvilleSC]

It's certainly easier to place students in jobs when you've got a lot of growing companies that have local offices or are based locally.