UGA Graduates Live Far and Wide By Nicole L. Younker, Ph.D., Director of Alumni Career Services, UGA Career Center
It doesn't matter where you are, doesn't matter where you go, If it's a million miles away or just a mile up the road Take it in, take it with you when you go Who says you can't go home?" Bon Jovi, "Who Says You Can't Go Home"
Y
oung adults nationwide may have used Bon Jovi’s lyrics as an excuse to settle back into the familiar nest of home after college, but you won’t see as many UGA graduates under mom and dad’s roof after walking under the arch. Although the majority of UGA students have hometowns in the state of Georgia, many of them do not return to their hometown after graduation. Employment and graduate school are the most influential factors in new graduate decisions about where to go after college. Seven of the top 10 graduate school choices for UGA alumni are in the state of Georgia, but employment has taken UGA grads all over the globe. For the class of 2012, fewer than half of the top 10 out-of-state destinations were even in the Southeast. Popular destinations in bordering states included
The dots represent number of alumni from each state
Charlotte, NC, Nashville, TN, Charleston, SC, and Memphis, TN. Rounding out the list of major cities for UGA grads were Boston, MA, Los Angeles, CA, San Francisco, CA, Dallas, TX, New York, NY, and Washington, D.C., according to the UGA Career Center’s 2012 post graduation survey. A 2012 study of relocation patterns among recent UGA graduates even discovered a correlation between moving out of state and increased happiness, with those respondents reporting a higher quality of life and higher job satisfaction. For Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, “there’s no place like home,” but UGA graduates have learned to "take it with them when they go." Wherever Bulldogs land, they can get involved with their local UGA alumni chapter and never miss a beat!
The dots represent number of alumni currently residing in each state