Pennsylvania ranked in second place among the top destinations for freshman out-of-state college students in the nation, according to a new survey by a Harrisburg-based education trade group, writes Stephen Williams for the WHYY.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania survey found  – based on reporting from the U.S. Department of Education for the past 17 years – that around 21,000 freshman students from all around the country move from their home states to study at Pennsylvania colleges or universities each year.

“It means that more American families choose to send their children to Pennsylvania’s independent, nonprofit colleges in all but one other state on average,” said Thomas P. Foley, AICUP president. “Pennsylvania’s colleges are attracting talented people from across the U.S., and we hope these students will decide to stay after graduation.”

He added that these figures highlight the outstanding reputation of the state’s higher education institutions.

According to the survey, students from each state and Washington, D.C. attend one of 85 AICUP schools in Pennsylvania. Outside of the Keystone State, most students come from New Jersey, New York, Maryland, California, and Massachusetts.

Read more about Pennsylvania taking second place among the top destinations for freshman out-of-state college students at WHYY.

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