The Geographic Migration of Rural Honor Students: a Single Community Study

Declining populations of many small towns in South Dakota have lead to residents and local leaders to express concern about the vitality of their rural communities and their ability to sustain themselves in the future. One perceived reason for the declining population is the belief that when young people graduate from high school, they leave and never return. Of particular concern is the belief that those who are the most likely to go elsewhere are the best and brightest young people in the community. This quantitative study examines the extent to which the best and brightest high school students in one rural community have engaged in out-migration. The findings indicate that the geographic location of the college attend is an important indicator of one?s domicile after college graduation.