Gain on ‘Brain Drain’: Report

Philadelphia may have turned a corner in its highly publicized battle in the last decade against “brain drain.”

Once a concern for civic leaders and the butt of jokes for bloggers, the loss of college graduates at the city’s extensive well of high learning is no longer so dramatic, according to a new report by Campus Philly released yesterday.

A survey of 4,600 students and recent graduates taken from April to May this year found that 48 percent of non-native Philadelphians are staying in the region after graduation. That’s up from just 29 percent in 2004.

“The fact that Greater Philadelphia is doing so well as a college town and post-college home is great for the region’s economy,” Mayor Michael Nutter said. “With these graduates staying, we’ll ensure Philadelphia and the region has a more educated workforce, lower unemployment and more businesses interested in coming to Philadelphia.”