Without going into the same argument that keeps happening, here is my opinion: the kids who go OOS ( I am not talking about attending the top OOS schools) would never get into our " better" in state schools, which require a 3.9- 4.0. These kids do not have the grades or test scores- they are not even close. They go out of state because their parents are willing to pay, and feel that they are getting a good deal at a top ranked public school that will get their kid a job. I have my own opinions about this.
The education at our in state schools is good. My older kid attends one. Her adviser recently told her that when they send kids to grad schools OOS, they are always told how well prepared their graduates are.
No colleges good enough for what I want to do around where I live. The one STEMy one I visited and did research at I hated. The rest are just OK.
It’s just circumstantial that I’m not applying to many colleges in my home state. Many many other people from my school feel the same. @ClarinetDad16 I’m sure this is true in states like Michigan but the converse is also true in states like NY.
“Is it the quality if the in-state options that keeps kids from certain states . . . within their home state?” (#19)
This would appear to be at least partially the case. However, the arrangement must be reciprocal. For example, California, New York and Massachusetts each have seven colleges within the top 50 nationally (when measured by standardized scores), but the high school students originating from within these states will naturally not all be qualified for admission to these colleges.
We have good options in Florida, and Bright Futures, so it makes it a little tougher to leave the state (though not unlikely depending on other factors).
I think that a lot of people forget that in-state options for many of us are more limited—much more limited—than what’s locally normal where they live.
For my case, I’m in Alaska. Our four in-state four-year+ options are the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska Southeast (in Juneau), and Alaska Pacific University (a very small private college in Anchorage). So the in-state options are pretty limited to begin with.
Add to that a legislature that effectively requires the public institutions to be fully or nearly open-admissions (and the private college effectively is, too) but that is openly antagonistic toward adequately funding the burdens that that sort of mandate places on higher education even in good financial times (and now is not one of those—we have a countercyclical economy up here), and well, if you have the means, it’s worth exporting your kids.
And that’s even leaving aside what happens when your children have longstanding interests (e.g., industrial design, conflict studies, neuroscience, systems engineering) that aren’t offered by any of the institutions in your state.
I think cost plays a big factor as well. For example, Georgia doesn’t have the best public options like CA outside of UGA and GT. But kids are still tempted to stay even if they don’t get into those schools because of HOPE. New York is another example of this. CUNY doesn’t pull in that many OOS students but for in-state kids you can’t really beat the price. It’s one of the few university system where you can still work your way through college if you don’t qualify for financial aid.
It seems to be a combination of distance, cost, and in-state option quality and quantity.
Mass. has the lowest rate (44%) despite having Boston as a college hub but with many private schools. Alaska and Wyoming have the highest rates (92-94%) - both low population, large states.
Schools with top rated public colleges (MI, NC, VA, CA, TX) also have higher rates (74-84%)
I also have one kid at a top OOS public. Had she stayed in state I really do not think she would have the same opportunities that she currently has. Additionally, I do not think she would be meeting students from all over the country and from so many different backgrounds. These are the factors we looked at when choosing a school.
@TooOld4School I believe that table is % of state students attending their own state’s public universities. That would explain the 44% for Massachusetts as many attend Massachusetts private universities.
My kids choose colleges based on what they wanted to study, and the type of experience they hoped to have in college. Our state has very good public and private options, but in the end they made a choice based on their preferences, opportunities, and affordability.
@TooOld4School I noticed Kansas and West Virginia were the only states that did not appear on that list. Does anyone know the percentages of students in those states?
“The median distance students go away for college is 94 miles (25th percentile = 23 miles and 75th percentile = 230 miles).” (source: http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ838811)
Hugely. In California, with its wealth of excellent public universities, many top students stay in state. In Colorado, where there is only one major state university campus, many top students go out of state.
The most obvious effect is what options you have with in state public tuition and financial aid, and how good or not the resulting net prices at such options actually are.
My parents condition for paying was that I had to stay in state. I live in Virginia so I did have a decent amount of schools to choose from. I lived in Virginia Beach and now live in Radford. I definitely spread my wings, I traded the ocean for mountains. I’m most likely leaving soon either for a job or grad school after graduation!
We are in Illinois, and most of the state schools here - as well as many of the private schools in the state - are overwhelmingly comprised of kids from the Chicago area.
Some kids might take comfort in that, but my D wanted to experience living in another state with people from that state, and others. She likes the idea of being only one of a few from her area…
Of course, that’s not her primary reason for going to one of two OOS schools she’s considering. She also just really liked these schools, and feels she’ll be happy there and they will serve her educational and social needs well…
But she did want a change in scenery, even if it’s still another Midwestern state.
Both of the schools she’s considering will also cost considerably less than UIUC and about the same as an IL directional, because she got merit at one, and the other is part of the Midwest Student Exchange.
I doubt she would have received merit at UIUC (she never applied), but she did get merit from SIU-Carbondale in IL, making it her cheapest option. But… back to my first paragraph. :). Mostly Chicago-area and IL students, like her.