Family Education 'Brain drain' persists in much of America's heartland When college graduates leave rural America, they take more than their talents with them. By Lisa Foust Prater Lisa Foust Prater Lisa Foust Prater is the Family & Farmstead Editor for Successful Farming, sharing interesting family features, heartfelt editorial columns, and important health and safety information. Her favorite thing about her job is meeting interesting people, learning their stories, and sharing them with our readers.Lisa started her career with Successful Farming magazine in 1999, working primarily for the web team and writing product reviews for the magazine. She later wrote for the Living the Country Life magazine and website and has written and edited several cookbooks and other books for Successful Farming and Living the Country Life. Successful Farming's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 21, 2023 Close Photo: Yellow Dog Productions / Getty Images New data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey shows many rural states continue to experience brain drain, or an outmigration of individuals with a bachelor's or advanced degree. The Center for Public Affairs Research (CPAR) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has been tracking the trend since 2010. Brain drain in the Cornhusker State has been on the rise that entire time. The 2022 survey showed a net loss of 4,610 college graduates age 25 and older, up around 200 from the previous year. While around 26,000 people fitting this description moved into the state in 2022, about 31,600 left. Josie Schafer, director of CPAR and an expert on economic and workforce development, says this signals a concerning pattern. However, she says, “In the state right now, there are over 400,000 individuals with a bachelor’s degree or more.” Why are people leaving and where are they going? Schafer attributes the outmigration to changing workforce dynamics, including job availability, opportunities, and pay. Housing is another contributing factor. She says although there are many job openings in the state, "It is likely they perceive more opportunities elsewhere.” In addition to the loss of talent, when this segment of the population leaves, they take their taxable income with them, as well as state and local sales taxes they would've paid. When those leaving are parents, school districts lose students and therefore funding. Other states experiencing brain drain, according to the survey, include Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Iowa had a small gain in 2021, but slipped into negative territory in 2022. So where are these people going? States experiencing brain gain, or a net gain of college graduates, include Montana, Colorado, South Dakota (although only 27), Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Florida showed the greatest brain gain, with a net gain of nearly 65,000 college graduates, far ahead of second-place Texas at just over 37,000. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit