College Students Love Pennsylvania

According to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth does better than 49 other states in college student retention (see story). Pennsylvania has overtaken New York – for the first time - as the #1 destination for first-time freshmen leaving their home states to attend university. The net gain is 12,209 students; Pennsylvania is now #1 in this "net migration" metric as well. In the longer term, nearly 20% of out-of-state graduates will remain five years after graduation. This means 3,500 young, college-educated workers are added to our state every year; not too shabby. Finally, with over 80 institutions of higher learning in or near Philadelphia, our town is reaping a majority of the benefits from this demographic trend. The evidence? A booming real estate market and exploding restaurant/entertainment sector and a generally younger, hipper vibe that's getting hard to ignore.