From university to host city: A critical literature review of drivers of graduate retention in campus cities

Abstract

Graduate retention practices have garnered the attention of scholars and policymakers as a key factor in the economic success of university cities in both developed and developing countries. This study was guided by human capital theory, regional development theory and social capital theory. The study synthesises a critical literature review of drivers of graduates' retention in host cities. The study utilised several academic databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and AJOL, to encompass perspectives from both developed and developing countries. The inclusion criteria comprised empirical studies examining graduate retention or migration in both developed and developing contexts; research exploring push–pull factors, labour market integration, or regional disparities; studies employing quantitative, mixed-methods approaches, or qualitative methods; and reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, and reputable working papers. Additionally, the exclusion criteria included studies that solely focus on articles lacking empirical data or theoretical analyses relevant to graduate retention, primary or secondary education, and non-English publications. The study findings found graduates' retention practices differ between developed and developing countries. Drivers for graduates in developed countries to stay in host cities, such as employment opportunities, regional economic disparities, policy and institutional factors and urban concentration and metropolitan pull, vary with those in developing countries, such as structural economic conditions, labour market opportunities and urban “pull” factors and regional inequalities and social networks context. Therefore, developing countries' universities should utilise social and economic opportunities, as well as the political environment, to enable youth to remain in host cities and capitalise on these opportunities. Additionally, governments should enhance and support infrastructure, such as technology parks, industrial hubs, and entrepreneurial programs in rural areas to reduce regional disparities in human capital and promote more stable economic growth.