Study says Michigan retains more homegrown college talent than most states

A new Strada Education Foundation study says Michigan keeps a larger share of homegrown college-educated workers than the national average, challenging frequent warnings about a statewide “brain drain.”

The study found that 72% of Michigan’s college-educated workers graduated from both high school and college in the same state, the highest share in the nation. Nationally, about two-thirds of college-educated workers live in the state where they finished high school, and 55% graduated from both high school and college in the state where they now work.

Peter Bahr, research director at Strada’s Institute for the Future of Work, said public colleges and universities, especially broad-access regional institutions, are a major part of Michigan’s talent pipeline. He said colleges can help further by connecting programs to workforce opportunities and local employers.

Read the full story at wdet.org.