Graduate migration, partisanship, and city preferences: An experimental approach to place‐consonant migration decisions

Abstract How do university students evaluate prospective jobs in different cities after graduation? While the literature has identified drivers of graduate migration, research yet to account for role individual social and political attitudes shaping destination preferences. Using a conjoint survey experiment, this paper introduces concept place‐consonant migration describe desire proximity like‐minded communities with respect partisanship. Building on that established utility experiments evaluating complex decision‐making, we provided University North Carolina at Charlotte undergraduate hypothetical job packages consider upon graduation which combined city names randomised levels income amenity factors. Adapting rapidly changing dynamics, conducted experiment across three cross‐sections capture potential impact Covid‐19 pandemic other developments decisions college graduates. The analysis demonstrates how place characteristics combine partisan produce preferences among students. Moreover, by conducting multiple waves our during contemporaneous events, results show change over time.