An extended body of research has documented the outmigration of the "best and brightest" youth from rural areas. Some of this scholarship has suggested that rural schools and educators may be complicit in this process as they devote extra attention and resources to the highest achieving students--those most likely to leave their rural…

Examines migration patterns into, out of, and within Appalachia during the periods 1975-80 and 1985-90. Focuses on the elderly, working-age adults, the school-age population, college students, college graduates, African Americans, Hispanics, and occupational and economic status groups. Notes significant differences between northern, central, and…

This report, sponsored by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University, presents in-depth multi-method research and analysis on what matters to Illinois students and their families when choosing a college, why so many students are leaving the state, where they are going, and…

During 1999-2001, the combined effects of far fewer rural inmigrants and many more outmigrants led to the first significant nonmetro population loss since the 1980s. The rural West showed the greatest percentage loss through migration, and only the rural Midwest showed a gain during the period. Nonmetro college graduates showed a large decline,…