DataNB
The latest from the New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training

When you hear about recent graduates here in New Brunswick (NB), the dominant narrative always seems to be that students are eager to get out of NB to find better jobs and make more money elsewhere. But is this actually the case?

As a part of an ongoing five-year agreement with the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL), researchers at NB-IRDT have taken a deeper look to see if students really are leaving NB after they graduate. By combining linked data from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) and college institutions with Citizen Data holdings at NB-IRDT, we get a better sense of the big picture.

Previous research at NB-IRDT shows that most New Brunswickers who complete their post-secondary education in NB choose to stay in the province after graduation: 97% of college graduates and 89% of university graduates originally from NB were still living in NB one year after graduating, as of 2018. Our most recent study updates that information by focusing on students who graduated from publicly funded colleges and universities in NB between 2010-2020, with particular attention on graduates from 2019 and 2020.

Which graduates are the most likely to remain in New Brunswick one year after graduating? Here are some highlights from our updated report:

• A higher proportion of college graduates than university graduates remain in NB after graduation.
• Female graduates stay in NB at a higher rate than their male peers.
• Of the various university programs offered, graduates from nursing programs are the most likely to remain in NB.
• And, of the different college programs in the province, education and personal support programs have the highest proportion of graduates that remain in NB.

At NB-IRDT, our mission is to help communities and governments shed light on the issues that are the most important to them. To better understand the reality of graduate retention here in New Brunswick, you can read the summary or the full report.

Related Pages: Graduate retention in New Brunswick: 2019 and 2020 cohort update