An economic analysis of college student migration

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the factors which make freshman students cross state lines to attend college in another state. Economic, institutional and environmental variables have been incorporated in this study. The student is assumed to make his migration decision in an investment framework. Therefore, he is expected to migrate if the present value of the discounted expected benefits--monetary and nonmonetary--exceed the present value of the discounted expected cost--monetary and nonmonetary--of attending the college. The year of 1984 was chosen because student migration and other necessary data are available for this year. Cross sectional analysis has been performed as no time series data are available. The gross migration rate function has been estimated by using the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation technique. Three estimation procedures of the gross out-migration rate were performed. The first one involves regressing the gross out-migration rate to all four year colleges and universities, the second procedure uses the gross out-migration rate to all four year private colleges and universities, the third procedure uses the gross out-migration rate to all four year private colleges and universities.;In general, college student migrants are attracted by higher expenditures per student, good job market opportunities, and higher part-time income in the destination state. College student migrants are deterred by nonresident tuition charges, private tuition charges, extreme weather, and distance.