Metropolitan areas, environmental quality, and talent: Inter‐urban migration of higher education students in Canada, 2019–2020

Abstract

This study analyzes the inter‐urban migration of approximately 154,000 higher education students within 17 Canadian census metropolitan areas in the academic year prior to the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic (2019–2020). Using novel linked data from alternative sources, we applied linear regression and standard cross‐classified multilevel formulations of gravity models to analyze the statistical association between student migration flows and environmental quality (i.e., indicators relevant to human health) and its moderating effect on regional economic development and other factors. By focusing on the pre‐pandemic academic year, this research provides a baseline picture of inter‐urban student migration in Canada and offers a point of comparison to assess post‐pandemic changes in student mobility and urban migration dynamics of this key demographic.