Northeast students head to Austin
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Warm weather, affordability and politics have prompted a teenage migration from the Northeast to the South.
Why it matters: Large Southern state schools — including the University of Texas — are attracting a geographically diverse student body as Americans are increasingly disillusioned with the value of higher education.
- "They're seen not only as more fun, but also more accessible," Jeff Selingo, author of college admissions books, told Axios.
The big picture: Many public Southern schools have lower tuition rates than their private counterparts, and they prioritize merit scholarships, Selingo said.
- The more exciting draws for some high schoolers? School spirit and football culture.
By the numbers: The number of students from the Northeast who attended UT doubled in less than a decade, from 121 freshmen in 2014 to 245 in 2023, according to an Axios analysis of National Center for Education Statistics data.
- The fall 2014 UT freshman class consisted of 7,295 students, compared to 9,385 in 2023, which saw record-high enrollment for the second year sin a row.
Between the lines: Politics is also a rising factor in some students' decisions.
- Colleges in Republican-led states returned to in-person classes sooner than those in Democratic-led states after the onset of COVID-19. High school students who sat through virtual classes during the pandemic may have been inclined to flock south for a more authentic college experience.
- And UT, under pressure from Republican lawmakers, has expanded the number of conservative-minded institutes on campus.
- "Students who were looking at colleges saw more freedom and fun in the South than they saw up North," Selingo said.
Yes, but: By state law, the vast majority of spots at UT are taken by top-performing Texas high school students, ultimately capping the number of Northeasterners likely to roam campus halls.
The intrigue: Alumni of UT are likely to stay in Austin, which has already been growing faster than the country overall.
What we're watching: Whether politically charged issues involving diversity initiatives or protests of the Israel-Hamas conflict changes this trend.