Alaska's 'brain drain': myth or reality?

Alaska has one of the highest outmigration rates in the Nation. The general belief is that a disproportionately large percentage of Alaska's young adults leave Alaska after graduating from high school or after completing some postsecondary education in the State. Also, there is wide concern that the percentage of Alaskans who continue their education beyond high school is among the lowest in the Nation(1). This article presents data to quantify these phenomena, sometimes characterized as a "brain drain," using a variety of administrative data. This article tracks a study group of more than 16,000 Alaskans, age 15-16 in 1994 (hereinafter, 1994 Youth).(2) It follows this group through their postsecondary education in Alaska and at out-of-State institutions and examines their employment status in Alaska.