Is There Too Much Pressure to Attend University in the United States? A Case Study in Western Ohio

Abstract Rural population loss is a major problem in the United States and abroad. Rural location typically lose populations as young people move towards urban and suburban centers for education and job opportunities available there. This region continues to face a problem with shrinking population. The researchers in this study surveyed high school graduating seniors (typically ages 18 and 19 years of age) to evaluate the issue of rural population loss by assessing youth impressions of their home communities. The sample revealed strong positive impressions of their home communities when evaluating their schools, safety, and how affordable the community was to live. The young people reported lower evaluation of the job opportunities and the availability of entertainment, cultural, and job options. Youth from families deeply rooted in the rural community for generations and those youth working in high school jobs with higher rates of pay were more optimistic about their rural community. Youth report a strong influence of parents on their future choices about remaining or returning to their rural community