Losing Its Minds? Evaluating “Brain Drain” in Ohio

Is Ohio losing its best and brightest minds? That’s what is often implied by some well-publicized data on college graduates who move to other states after graduation. But what do these data actually tell us? This Commentary shows that they do not paint a complete picture of the emerging class of graduates, much less the state’s workforce. States interested in attracting and retaining college graduates as part of their overall economic development plans should look to other sources of data for a more complete picture. But they also need to consider the drive to improve graduate retention rates in the context of the larger goal—maintaining a well educated workforce.