During the pandemic, some places opened up much sooner than others. As a result, some people got to living their lives while others were legally obligated to remain hidden away from the world.
And with the help of social media, people saw what was going on in other states.
Now, recently, some tried to argue that students are avoiding schools because of the politics of the area. In particular, they were avoiding pro-gun states.
But there does seem to be some indication that politics is driving students to attend some schools over others. In particular, though, it’s something of the reverse. They’re moving to pro-gun southern states not because of gun laws, but because the South looks awesome. Especially after COVID.
There's been an unprecedented movement by college-age kids away from Ivy League and other so-called elite schools toward schools in the South.
It's no mystery. Several factors are at play in this migration, including a greater sense of freedom, great college sports teams, and warmer weather. The pandemic hastened the migration as southern schools had relaxed strict COVID restrictions long before the eastern schools got around to it.
…
Southern colleges are also seeing a surge in applicants from northern out-of-state students. In 2023, for example, about 19 percent of total enrollment at Clemson in South Carolina came from New York and New Jersey—a big change from 2017, when the top out-of-staters were from the Carolinas and Georgia. Almost half the undergraduates from University of Miami in Florida came from out of state in 2023, with students from New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts taking three of the top five slots. Meanwhile, more than half of Elon University’s entire enrollment for 2023 hailed from northeastern states, with Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York leading the charge.
“Never before have we seen so much interest in colleges like Clemson, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State,” says Rick Clark, the assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admission at Georgia Tech. “That’s just unprecedented," he added.
“Kids up north were pretty unhappy during those Covid lockdown years,” said Larry Glazer from Boston, whose son Archie is looking at Elon University in North Carolina. “And colleges down south were offering something different. My son and his friends would look at TikTok and see all these college kids going to football games, throwing parties, living their lives. It has an impact.”
Indeed it does. A big impact.
The truth is that no one really enjoyed lockdowns. Hell, I’m a profound introvert who would take up being a professional hermit if I thought I could get away with it and I absolutely hated it. Those who like to go out and have fun had to have been hit far worse.
Now, why does this matter?
Well, for one thing, out-of-state students pay more in tuition, meaning more money for the schools for the exact same number of bodies. Additionally, more revenue for the states themselves as people move in for school and contribute to the economy overall.
Plus, most people tend to end up working within a fairly small radius of where they graduated. That means more college graduates in the area, thus making it easier to bring in new businesses.
See, the states that lost their minds over COVID were, at the absolute best, extremely shortsighted. It was a disease that didn’t really hurt the healthy, as a general thing, though it sucks balls if you get it, and it didn’t impact the young nearly as bad as, say, the elderly.
Yet when they locked down, they drew a line in the sand. People who wanted no part of that stupidity are now seeing where else they can go, and the South didn’t play those games for nearly as long, so who gets to benefit?
Now, some of the best and brightest are leaving their home states and heading south for warmer climates, less progressive stupidity—though, admittedly, they’re going to college. That means they can’t avoid that flavor of stupidity entirely—and less chance of a repeat of lockdowns in the future.
I don’t blame them in the least, and if the long-term effects are an improvement in the South’s economy to the detriment of progressive strongholds, well, I’m sure I’ll find a way to hide my tears.
Tilting at Windmills is 100% reader-supported. If you enjoyed this article, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription for 15% off the first year or making a one-time donation here. Your support is greatly appreciated.
And I'm certain this trend will only gain speed given the current goings-on at Columbia, Yale, etc.
They blew it when one of them had to ask another one why they were protesting. And the one that said they had to educate themselves! Not everyone will notice that but hopefully some of them will catch on. Although I must say that I'm crossing my fingers but I'm not holding my breath.