The states where students are most and least likely to leave home for college, ranked
See which US states send the highest and lowest shares of first-time college students out of state, based on 2024 Department of Education data.
Jacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto
- Of 2.93 million first-time college students across the US, 19.1% enroll in out-of-state schools.
- California has the lowest rate of students enrolling out-of-state, while Vermont has the highest.
- Factors such as cost, degree programs, and campus life can lead students to enroll out-of-state.
As summer's end nears, many young adults — and their soon-to-be-empty-nester parents — are starting to pack up suitcases and buy dorm furniture as they prepare to move away for college.
Whether they're looking for specialized degree programs, school prestige, affordable tuition, broader networking opportunities, or a more distinctive campus experience, many students will soon be attending college across state lines from their parents.
Enrollment data from the US Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System measures the number of first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduate students residing in each state and documents which institutions those students enroll in — and where those institutions are located relative to the student's permanent address at the time of application.
The most recent release, documenting the fall of 2024, shows that of the over 2.93 million first-time students across all US states, 562,209, or 19.1%, enrolled at an out-of-state institution.
Business Insider also compared out-of-state enrollment rates across state lines and ranked all 50 US states by the share of resident first-time students who enrolled outside their state. Using IPEDS data, we also calculated the most common destination state among residents who enrolled out of state.
While the data and our calculations can help show the broader picture of student migration in many states, they do not capture the factors that led each student to enroll out of state, nor do they explicitly reflect how many students are physically moving their primary residence, since IPEDS data also includes online programs that may be located in states other than the student's residence.
See where your state ranked and where its out-of-state students most commonly enrolled.
50. Californiayujie chen/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 9.9%
Number of resident first-time students: 432,331
Number of students leaving: 43,016
Top destination: Arizona, with 5,537 students (12.9% of students going out-of-state)
49. UtahBrett Taylor/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 10.5%
Number of resident first-time students: 33,175
Number of students leaving: 3,497
Top destination: Idaho, with 1,038 students (29.7% of students going out-of-state)
48. MichiganNicholas Klein/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 12.4%
Number of resident first-time students: 82,242
Number of students leaving: 10,185
Top destination: Ohio, with 2,276 students (22.3% of students going out-of-state)
47. ArizonaKruck20/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 12.8%
Number of resident first-time students: 59,989
Number of students leaving: 7,695
Top destination: California, with 933 students (12.1% of students going out-of-state)
46. MississippiCRobertson/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 13.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 24,451
Number of students leaving: 3,222
Top destination: Alabama, with 614 students (19.1% of students going out-of-state)
45. Florida6381380/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 13.3%
Number of resident first-time students: 179,229
Number of students leaving: 23,780
Top destination: Georgia, with 2,220 students (9.3% of students going out-of-state)
44. OklahomaGummyBone/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 14.1%
Number of resident first-time students: 35,946
Number of students leaving: 5,082
Top destination: Kansas, with 1,008 students (19.8% of students going out-of-state)
43. TexasJacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 14.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 294,363
Number of students leaving: 41,772
Top destination: Oklahoma, with 4,796 students (11.5% of students going out-of-state)
42. AlabamaJacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 14.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 40,085
Number of students leaving: 5,701
Top destination: Mississippi, with 935 students (16.4% of students going out-of-state)
41. LouisianaCrackerClips/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 14.8%
Number of resident first-time students: 41,892
Number of students leaving: 6,186
Top destination: Mississippi, with 1,090 students (17.6% of students going out-of-state)
40. IowaGummyBone/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 15.4%
Number of resident first-time students: 26,979
Number of students leaving: 4,144
Top destination: South Dakota, with 529 students (12.8% of students going out-of-state)
39. North CarolinaKruck20/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 15.5%
Number of resident first-time students: 83,293
Number of students leaving: 12,920
Top destination: Virginia, with 1,953 students (15.1% of students going out-of-state)
38. Ohioespiegle/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 15.8%
Number of resident first-time students: 95,533
Number of students leaving: 15,141
Top destination: Indiana, with 1,769 students (11.7% of students going out-of-state)
37. IndianaWirestock/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 16.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 56,069
Number of students leaving: 9,288
Top destination: Ohio, with 1,851 students (19.9% of students going out-of-state)
36. KentuckyIvelin Denev/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 16.8%
Number of resident first-time students: 38,910
Number of students leaving: 6,535
Top destination: Ohio, with 1,411 students (21.6% of students going out-of-state)
35. New MexicoAaron Seltzer/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 17.1%
Number of resident first-time students: 17,756
Number of students leaving: 3,028
Top destination: Texas, with 586 students (19.4% of students going out-of-state)
34. South CarolinaKruck20/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 17.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 42,179
Number of students leaving: 7,236
Top destination: North Carolina, with 1,671 students (23.1% of students going out-of-state)
33. ArkansasRdlamkin/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Number of resident first-time students: 22,786
Number of students leaving: 3,921
Top destination: Missouri, with 475 students (12.1% of students going out-of-state)
32. KansasJacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 17.5%
Number of resident first-time students: 26,488
Number of students leaving: 4,633
Top destination: Missouri, with 1,286 students (27.8% of students going out-of-state)
31. West VirginiaBackyardProduction/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 19.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 12,314
Number of students leaving: 2,359
Top destination: Ohio, with 529 students (22.4% of students going out-of-state)
30. NebraskaAaron Seltzer/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 19.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 18,209
Number of students leaving: 3,564
Top destination: Iowa, with 680 students (19.1% of students going out-of-state)
29. TennesseeBilanol/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 20.0%
Number of resident first-time students: 58,199
Number of students leaving: 11,667
Top destination: Alabama, with 1,591 students (13.6% of students going out-of-state)
28. GeorgiaSean Pavone/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 20.1%
Number of resident first-time students: 98,471
Number of students leaving: 19,835
Top destination: Alabama, with 3,475 students (17.5% of students going out-of-state)
27. WisconsinUltima_Gaina/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 20.3%
Number of resident first-time students: 46,503
Number of students leaving: 9,420
Top destination: Minnesota, with 2,781 students (29.5% of students going out-of-state)
26. OregonJacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 21.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 30,818
Number of students leaving: 6,526
Top destination: Washington, with 1,101 students (16.9% of students going out-of-state)
25. VirginiaWirestock/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 21.4%
Number of resident first-time students: 76,703
Number of students leaving: 16,448
Top destination: North Carolina, with 1,627 students (9.9% of students going out-of-state)
24. New YorkSeanPavonePhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 21.9%
Number of resident first-time students: 170,412
Number of students leaving: 37,301
Top destination: Pennsylvania, with 5,091 students (13.6% of students going out-of-state)
23. MissouriSean Pavone/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 22.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 46,624
Number of students leaving: 10,555
Top destination: Kansas, with 2,186 students (20.7% of students going out-of-state)
22. PennsylvaniaKyle Little/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 22.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 100,007
Number of students leaving: 22,644
Top destination: New York, with 2,642 students (11.7% of students going out-of-state)
21. Idahochristiannafzger/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 23.8%
Number of resident first-time students: 15,636
Number of students leaving: 3,716
Top destination: Utah, with 1,106 students (29.8% of students going out-of-state)
20. NevadaOwensImaging/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 24.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 23,982
Number of students leaving: 5,906
Top destination: California, with 964 students (16.3% of students going out-of-state)
19. MaineSean Pavone/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 25.0%
Number of resident first-time students: 11,004
Number of students leaving: 2,750
Top destination: Massachusetts, with 658 students (23.9% of students going out-of-state)
18. WashingtonSEASTOCK/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 25.1%
Number of resident first-time students: 59,429
Number of students leaving: 14,894
Top destination: California, with 2,344 students (15.7% of students going out-of-state)
17. South DakotaUltima_Gaina/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 25.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 7,298
Number of students leaving: 1,840
Top destination: Minnesota, with 319 students (17.3% of students going out-of-state)
16. North DakotaJacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 25.9%
Number of resident first-time students: 6,156
Number of students leaving: 1,596
Top destination: Minnesota, with 785 students (49.2% of students going out-of-state)
15. ColoradoJacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 27.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 49,104
Number of students leaving: 13,561
Top destination: Arizona, with 1,613 students (11.9% of students going out-of-state)
14. MontanaJacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 27.9%
Number of resident first-time students: 7,316
Number of students leaving: 2,042
Top destination: North Dakota, with 211 students (10.3% of students going out-of-state)
13. WyomingWirestock/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 28.4%
Number of resident first-time students: 4,688
Number of students leaving: 1,333
Top destination: Utah, with 229 students (17.2% of students going out-of-state)
12. MinnesotaJacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 30.5%
Number of resident first-time students: 53,053
Number of students leaving: 16,172
Top destination: Wisconsin, with 3,494 students (21.6% of students going out-of-state)
11. IllinoisJacob Boomsma/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 31.3%
Number of resident first-time students: 111,509
Number of students leaving: 34,903
Top destination: Wisconsin, with 4,183 students (12% of students going out-of-state)
10. Rhode IslandWirestock/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 32.1%
Number of resident first-time students: 9,213
Number of students leaving: 2,954
Top destination: Massachusetts, with 962 students (32.6% of students going out-of-state)
9. Massachusettstupungato/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 33.5%
Number of resident first-time students: 63,392
Number of students leaving: 21,260
Top destination: Rhode Island, with 2,716 students (12.8% of students going out-of-state)
8. MarylandChrisBoswell/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 33.9%
Number of resident first-time students: 54,599
Number of students leaving: 18,506
Top destination: Pennsylvania, with 3,228 students (17.4% of students going out-of-state)
7. DelawareKirkikis/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 34.4%
Number of resident first-time students: 9,209
Number of students leaving: 3,166
Top destination: Pennsylvania, with 1,043 students (32.9% of students going out-of-state)
6. New JerseyWirestock/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 35.6%
Number of resident first-time students: 95,646
Number of students leaving: 34,070
Top destination: Pennsylvania, with 7,672 students (22.5% of students going out-of-state)
5. Connecticutf11photo/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 38.4%
Number of resident first-time students: 35,699
Number of students leaving: 13,699
Top destination: Massachusetts, with 2,738 students (20% of students going out-of-state)
4. HawaiiEric Broder Van Dyke/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 38.9%
Number of resident first-time students: 10,296
Number of students leaving: 4,000
Top destination: California, with 862 students (21.6% of students going out-of-state)
3. AlaskaJacob Boomsma/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Out-of-state rate: 42.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 4,303
Number of students leaving: 1,817
Top destination: Arizona, with 222 students (12.2% of students going out-of-state)
2. New HampshireBackyardProduction/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 46.2%
Number of resident first-time students: 10,094
Number of students leaving: 4,663
Top destination: Massachusetts, with 1,419 students (30.4% of students going out-of-state)
1. VermontBackyardProduction/Getty Images
Out-of-state rate: 53.3%
Number of resident first-time students: 3,865
Number of students leaving: 2,060
Top destination: New York, with 406 students (19.7% of students going out-of-state)
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