MAINE — For students considering where to attend college — and families considering a move to Maine — a new analysis offers another reason to look closely at the Pine Tree State: Maine retains a significantly larger share of its college graduates than its northern New England neighbors.
Research from the Strada Institute for the Future of Work and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research found that approximately 60% of graduates produced by Maine colleges and universities remain in the state, giving Maine the highest college-graduate retention rate among the three northern New England states.
The study measures what researchers describe as “brain drain,” defined as the percentage of graduates produced by a state's colleges and universities who subsequently move to another state.
Maine's brain-drain rate was 40%, meaning roughly 60% remain in Maine. By comparison, 63% of New Hampshire graduates and 72% of Vermont graduatesrelocate to another state. That translates to approximate retention rates of 37% for New Hampshire and 28% for Vermont.
For northern New England, the difference is substantial.
Maine: 60% of College Graduates Stay
The three-state comparison based on the study's migration figures looks like this:
Maine
- Remain in state: approximately 60%
- Relocate to another state: 40%
New Hampshire
- Remain in state: approximately 37%
- Relocate to another state: 63%
Vermont
- Remain in state: approximately 28%
- Relocate to another state: 72%
The findings are part of broader research examining interstate migration among working-age adults with bachelor's and graduate degrees.
For Maine, the numbers suggest that the state's colleges and universities are doing more than educating students who eventually take their degrees elsewhere. A majority of graduates produced by Maine institutions are staying in the state.
Why Graduate Retention Matters to Maine
Keeping college-educated workers has important implications for a state with ongoing workforce needs.
Graduates who remain in Maine can become part of the state's workforce, start businesses, purchase homes and contribute to local communities. They also provide employers with a pool of workers carrying postsecondary education and specialized skills.
The Strada analysis notes that graduate retention can be related to several factors, including economic growth, higher-education investment, cost of living and quality of life.
Economic opportunity also plays a particularly important role when college-educated Americans decide whether to cross state lines. In the broader research, economic opportunity was the most commonly reported reason for an interstate move among college-educated adults ages 20 to 65.
That connection makes graduate retention an important measure for Maine's long-term economic development.
From College Student to Maine Resident
For families considering relocating to Maine with teenagers or college-age children, graduate retention provides another perspective on the state's higher-education landscape. Choosing a college is often viewed as a four-year decision. In reality, where someone attends college can influence where that person builds professional networks, completes internships, finds a first job and eventually establishes a home.
Maine offers a diverse higher-education system that includes the University of Maine System, Maine Community College System and private institutions ranging from liberal arts colleges to universities specializing in health professions, business, maritime studies and other fields.
For students arriving from outside Maine, attending college can also provide an opportunity to experience the state before deciding whether to remain permanently. The University of Maine provides one example of that connection. According to the university's reporting on its 2023–24 graduates, 80% of Maine-resident graduates remained in Maine for employment, while 27% of graduates originally from outside Maine chose to begin their careers in the state.
Those university-specific figures measure a different population than the statewide Strada study, but they illustrate how higher education can serve as one pathway into Maine's workforce.
Maine Outperforms Its Northern New England Neighbors
The contrast with neighboring Vermont and New Hampshire is particularly noteworthy. All three states share some demographic and economic characteristics: relatively small populations, significant rural areas and proximity to larger employment markets elsewhere in New England.
Yet the study shows markedly different patterns after students graduate. With approximately six in 10 graduates remaining in Maine, the state
retains a considerably greater proportion of the graduates produced by its institutions than either New Hampshire or Vermont.
The figure does not mean that every graduate who stays will remain in Maine permanently, nor does it establish why individual graduates decide to stay or leave. Graduate migration can be influenced by job opportunities, family connections, housing, lifestyle preferences and many other factors.
Still, the comparison provides a useful indicator of Maine's ability to turn higher education into longer-term residency.
What This Means if You're Thinking About Moving to Maine
For prospective students and relocating families, the findings add another dimension to the decision about where to live and study.
A college education can become an entry point into a much longer relationship with a state. Students build friendships and professional connections, discover communities, meet employers and learn where they might want to establish their careers.
In Maine, a majority of graduates are making the decision to stay. For a state working to attract and retain educated workers, entrepreneurs and young professionals, that 60% retention rate represents something larger than a higher-education statistic. It suggests that for many students, studying in Maine ultimately becomes living and working in Maine.
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Let’s Move to Maine provides news, resources and information for people considering relocating to Maine, including coverage of education, employment, housing and communities across the state.