WASHINGTON (Aug. 6, 2026) — Highly educated workers are a valued commodity in states seeking to build and sustain economic vitality. A new report from Strada Institute for the Future of Work shows that while states build their college-educated talent pools differently, two-thirds of college-educated workers live in the state where they attended high school.
The report, “Talent in Motion: Interstate Migration of College-Educated Workers,” can help states characterize the sources of their college-educated workforces and invest strategically to grow the talent their states need. The state-by-state findings also can help employers understand their talent pipelines and students make decisions about their education, careers, and life goals.
Produced in collaboration with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, the analysis is organized around four categories of college-educated workers. Those include: individuals who attended college and now work in the same state in which they attended high school; those who left their home state to attend college but returned to work in the state in which they attended high school; graduates who left the state in which they attended high school to attend college and then stayed in that state for work; and those who work in a state in which they attended neither high school nor college.
Among the key findings:
- Overall, two-thirds of college-educated workers still live in the state where they attended high school. Most attended college and now work there (55 percent), while a smaller share returned to their home state to work after attending college elsewhere (12 percent).
- States differ markedly in the shares of their talent that are homegrown, having attended both high school and college in state. For instance, 72 percent of college-educated workers in Michigan stayed in their home state for college and work, but 36 percent of college-educated workers in Colorado did so.
- Half of college-educated individuals cite economic opportunity as their primary motivation to cross state lines — the most frequently cited reason. Among individuals younger than age 50, the percentage is even greater — around 55 percent. However, only 33 percent of individuals ages 50 years and older reported economic opportunity as their primary motivation.
- States with above-average shares of homegrown talent often have lower college attainment rates. For instance, Oklahoma, Alabama, Louisiana, and Arkansas have above-average shares of homegrown talent but below-average college attainment; there are exceptions, however, such as New York with above-average homegrown talent and above-average college attainment.
- One of the strongest predictors of in-state retention of college graduates is the share of first-year college students drawn from the state’s own population. This finding reflects the important role played by states’ public higher education institutions in building their college-educated workforces.
- Public colleges and universities are anchors for in-state talent. About two-thirds of graduates of public institutions with broad-access admissions, and half of graduates of the most selective public institutions, attended college and now work in their home state.
Media Contact: Amber.Denney@strada.org
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