Strengthening Baltimore's Knowledge-Based Community: An Exploration of Factors that Influence Retention Efforts of College Graduates in the Baltimore Region

Abstract

The city of Baltimore, MD has experienced consistent population decline since the mid 1960’s, specifically among individuals aged 22-29. The Baltimore Collegetown Network (BCN), which is a 501c3, non-profit consortium of 13 institutions of higher education within the region, effectively attracts students to the region and engages them while they are enrolled but seeks to understand and improve their efforts to retain students in the Baltimore region following graduation. We used migration, human capital, and quality of life theories to design our mixed methods study. Survey results suggest that BCN students plan to, and graduates do remain in the Baltimore region but that they are concerned with securing jobs related to their degrees. Survey results also indicate that volunteering and internships in the city increases the odds that graduates will remain in the region. Recommendations are discussed.