Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning

ABSTRACT This paper identifies the extent of the brain drain problem in Mississippi and quantifies its economic impacts on the state. The study begins by defining brain drain and comparing brain drain in Mississippi to other states in the region using two definitions of the term. We find that all states in the study experience gross brain drain, but not all states experience net brain drain. Returning the focus to Mississippi, the study includes an experimental analysis of the potential effects to the Mississippi economy if the state’s migration patterns of college-educated individuals were similar to those of other states in the region. This experiment allows us to determine the impact of brain drain on Mississippi’s economy in terms of real gross domestic product (GDP), personal income, employment, and population.