For decades, rural towns have experienced a persistent brain drain, as college graduates leave in search of opportunities elsewhere. Between 1970 and 2016, for instance, the college attainment gap between urban and rural America grew from 5 percentage points to 14 percentage points. In the years since, this trend has largely continued, particularly in states across the country’s heartland and West. States like Wyoming, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio are all seeing their rural communities lose college-educated workers at an alarming rate.

The closure of so many smaller, rural colleges only exacerbates the challenge. Among those that remain, many do an excellent job preparing students for the workforce. But too often those jobs are concentrated in urban centers, pulling talent away from the towns that need it most. To break this cycle, rural colleges will need to shift their focus toward regional workforce development, creating local career pathways that encourage graduates to stay.

Instant Insights /

Rural colleges, and their communities, are in trouble. Here’s what we can do

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