{"id":62003,"date":"2022-03-09T02:02:41","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T07:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=62003"},"modified":"2022-03-09T02:02:41","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T07:02:41","slug":"3-things-that-influence-college-graduates-from-rural-areas-to-return-to-their-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/3-things-that-influence-college-graduates-from-rural-areas-to-return-to-their-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"3 things that influence college graduates from rural areas to return to their communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"When high-achieving students from rural areas go off to college and graduate, they often choose to live<\/a>\u00a0in suburban or urban areas instead rural communities like the ones where they grew up, decades of\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0have shown.<\/p>\n

Often they are following the advice of\u00a0adults<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 or just deciding on their own \u2013 to search for success in cities, where\u00a0career opportunities<\/a>\u00a0are more abundant. Teachers, coaches and neighbors might\u00a0reinforce the message<\/a>\u00a0to leave behind the small-town life and its\u00a0limited career opportunities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But that\u00a0long-standing pattern<\/a>\u00a0might be changing.\u00a0Some rural communities<\/a>\u00a0are\u00a0beginning to see<\/a>\u00a0their\u00a0college graduates return<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I am a researcher who studies\u00a0higher education and rural communities<\/a>, and my colleagues and I wondered what might be leading adults to return to rural communities a decade or two after they graduate from college elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
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To find out what might be prompting some college graduates to return to their rural hometowns later in life, we conducted a\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0using\u00a0national data on the well-being of adolescents into adulthood<\/a>\u00a0to look at why people who grew up in rural places decided to return. Specifically, we took a look at whether their middle and high school experiences had any connection to their decision to return home in their late 30s or early 40s. We considered only those individuals who had gone at least 50 miles away to complete a bachelor\u2019s degree. We found three factors that contributed to college graduates coming back home.<\/p>\n

1. Tight-knit school communities<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We found that the more students enjoyed school and felt as if they belonged, the more likely these college-educated adults from rural areas returned home. Even after considering demographic, neighborhood and college characteristics, positive middle and high school experiences remained significant. This demonstrates the lasting value of supportive teacher-student and peer relationships.<\/p>\n

This is consistent with other research that has found college graduates who return had\u00a0roots that made them feel grounded<\/a>\u00a0in their rural hometowns. When the students maintain relationships with people back home, it makes them feel as if\u00a0they still belong<\/a>\u00a0when they return.<\/p>\n

2. Fewer people and more land<\/strong><\/h4>\n

College-educated people from smaller towns or open, undeveloped land were twice as likely to return home as people who grew up in slightly larger rural towns.<\/p>\n

Rural places are rich with natural resources, from vast countrysides with fertile soil to dense forests that purify the air we breathe. Rural people are often attached to the\u00a0natural environment<\/a>\u00a0and have an\u00a0appreciation<\/a>\u00a0for land. Connecting with nature, breathing in fresh air and enjoying peace and quiet can offer deep life\u00a0satisfaction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Contributing to their communities<\/strong><\/h4>\n

College graduates who grew up in rural communities where relatively few people went to college were more likely to return home than those from communities with more college-educated adults. Returners often feel a need to\u00a0give back<\/a>\u00a0to their communities. This has been\u00a0accomplished<\/a>\u00a0by returners filling positions as doctors, lawyers, teachers or entrepreneurs. They also volunteered to make a difference. College graduates provide several\u00a0societal benefits<\/a>, such as\u00a0contributing<\/a>\u00a0to their community\u2019s economic growth, participating in community activities and sharing new perspectives.<\/p>\n

A focus on the benefits<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Our research comes at a time when some rural communities have begun to invest in\u00a0local businesses<\/a>,\u00a0outdoor recreational activities<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0local schools<\/a>\u00a0to attract both newcomers and returners.<\/p>\n

Much attention has been given to a \u201crural brain drain<\/a>,\u201d as described by sociologists Patrick J. Carr and Maria J. Kefalas, and all the reasons young people leave rural communities. But our research shows some of the characteristics of rural communities that have been associated with a return home.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Stephanie Sowl is a Ph.D Candidate in Higher Education at Iowa State University<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When high-achieving students from rural areas go off to college and graduate, they often choose to live\u00a0in suburban or urban areas instead rural communities like the ones where they grew up, decades of\u00a0research\u00a0have shown. Often they are following the advice of\u00a0adults\u00a0\u2013 or just deciding on their own \u2013 to search for success in cities, where\u00a0career […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[428935],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-62003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-higher-education","tag-rural-communities"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 things that influence college graduates from rural areas to return to their communities - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/3-things-that-influence-college-graduates-from-rural-areas-to-return-to-their-communities\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"3 things that influence college graduates from rural areas to return to their communities - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When high-achieving students from rural areas go off to college and graduate, they often choose to live\u00a0in suburban or urban areas instead rural communities like the ones where they grew up, decades of\u00a0research\u00a0have shown. 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