In-state graduates stay put

Griffin Allison didn't even consider leaving the area after he graduated from the College of Charleston in 2002.

He grew up here and graduated from Bishop England High School in 1997. "I knew this is where I wanted to end up," he said, "so it would help to start setting up my network early."

Allison, a Realtor who works for Prudential Carolina in Mount Pleasant, is among the more than two-thirds of 2002 graduates from South Carolina's public colleges and universities who remain in the state five years later.

The state's Commission on Higher Education, in a report released late last week, found that 68 percent of students who graduated in 1997 and 2002 remained in the state five years later.

But students who were South Carolina residents when they entered college were much more likely to stay after graduation than out-of-state students.

According to the report, 79 percent of in-state undergraduate and graduate students remained in South Carolina five years after they graduated, but only between 20 percent and 23 percent of out-of-state students started growing roots here.

The researchers matched information on graduates to driver's license records. Students were considered residents if they held an active South Carolina driver's license five years after graduation.

Julie Carullo, the commission's director of government affairs and special projects, said it's difficult to compare the rate at which South Carolina retains graduates to that of other states because states record the data in different ways.

But, she said, "Generally, we think we'd compare favorably."

Carullo said the commission now has good baseline data to which it can compare future studies, especially studies on the impact of merit-based scholarships. The report found that 67 percent of 2002 graduates who received Palmetto Fellows scholarships and 77 percent of those receiving LIFE scholarships remained in the state.

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491 or dknich@postandcourier.com.