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AIER College Destinations Index 2015-16

Model Documentation AIER’s College Destinations Index (CDI) defines a college destination as a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) with at least 10,000 enrolled undergraduate and graduate students residing in the MSA in 2013. An MSA is a group of counties with a high degree of economic integration centered on an urban core. In 2013 there were 269 MSAs with at least 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The CDI categorizes the 269 MSAs based on total population in 2013 as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. Below is a table of the delineations. Table 1: MSA Size

Classification Total population

Major Metros More than 2.5 million

Midsize Metros 1 million to 2.5 million

Small Metros 250,000 to 999,999

College Towns Less than 250,000 The MSAs are ranked within their respective size category and across all MSAs based on an index of seven quality-of-student-life variables and four preparation-for-work variables. Each variable receives the same weight in the index. Quality-of-Student-Life Variables 1. Cost of rent: Market rent for a two-bedroom apartment.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent Documentation System. 2014.



2. City accessibility: Percentage of commuters who walk, bike, and use public transportation. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year Estimate. 2013. 3. Arts and entertainment: Arts and entertainments establishments per 1,000 residents. Arts and entertainment establishments are defined as performing arts and spectator sports venues. NAICS code 711.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses. 2011. 4. Culture: Employees in cultural establishments per 1,000 residents. A cultural establishment is a museum, historical sight, or similar institution. NAICS code 712.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses. 2011.

5. Bars and restaurants: Food and drinking establishments per 1,000 residents. NAICS code 722.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Statistics of U.S. Businesses. 2011. 6. Diversity: The average percentage of foreign students and non-white students. Non-white is defined as American Indian or Alaska native, Asian, African American, Hispanic, native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, two or more races. The MSA with the highest percentage receives a score of 100, while the lowest percentage receives a score of 0.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. 2013. 7. Cost of living minus rent: Price index of goods and services excluding rent.

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Real Personal Income for States and Metropolitan Areas, Regional Price Parities. 2013. Preparation-for-Work Variables

8. Youth unemployment: Unemployment rate for 20- to 24-year-olds.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year Estimate. 2013. 9. College educated: Percentage of the population 25- to 64-years-old with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year Estimate. 2013. 10. Economic activity: Four-year average percent change in the number of employed people.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. 2010-14. 11. Science, technology, engineering, and math workers (STEM): Number of workers per 1,000 residents. Occupation codes

11-3021 Computer and Information Systems Managers

11-9041 Architectural and Engineering Managers

11-9121 Natural Sciences Managers

15-0000 Computer and Mathematical Occupations

17-2011 Aerospace Engineers

17-2021 Agricultural Engineers

17-2031 Biomedical Engineers

17-2041 Chemical Engineers

17-2051 Civil Engineers

17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers

17-2071 Electrical Engineers

17-2072 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

17-2081 Environmental Engineers

17-2111 Health and Safety Engineers, Ex. Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors

17-2112 Industrial Engineers

17-2121 Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

17-2131 Materials Engineers

17-2141 Mechanical Engineers

17-2151 Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

17-2161 Nuclear Engineers

17-2171 Petroleum Engineers

17-2199 Engineers, All Other

17-3011 Architectural and Civil Drafters

17-3012 Electrical and Electronics Drafters

17-3013 Mechanical Drafters

17-3019 Drafters, All Other

17-3021 Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians

17-3022 Civil Engineering Technicians

17-3023 Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technicians

17-3024 Electro-Mechanical Technicians

17-3025 Environmental Engineering Technicians

17-3026 Industrial Engineering Technicians

17-3027 Mechanical Engineering Technicians

17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other

17-3031 Surveying and Mapping Technicians

19-1011 Animal Scientists

19-1012 Food Scientists and Technologists

19-1013 Soil and Plant Scientists

19-1021 Biochemists and Biophysicists

19-1022 Microbiologists

19-1023 Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists

19-1029 Biological Scientists, All Other

19-1031 Conservation Scientists

19-1032 Foresters

19-1041 Epidemiologists

19-1042 Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

19-1099 Life Scientists, All Other

19-2011 Astronomers

19-2012 Physicists

19-2021 Atmospheric and Space Scientists

19-2031 Chemists

19-2032 Materials Scientists

19-2041 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

19-2042 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

19-2043 Hydrologists

19-2099 Physical Scientists, All Other

19-4011 Agricultural and Food Science Technicians

19-4021 Biological Technicians

19-4031 Chemical Technicians

19-4041 Geological and Petroleum Technicians

19-4051 Nuclear Technicians

19-4061 Social Science Research Assistants

19-4091 Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health

19-4092 Forensic Science Technicians

19-4093 Forest and Conservation Technicians

19-4099 Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics. 2014.

Index Construction

For each variable we calculate the standardized score (z-score) for all 269 MSAs and then again within the four city-size classifications. Cost of rent, cost of living excluding rent, and youth unemployment are inverted to reflect that high costs and high unemployment contribute negatively to the quality of student life and preparation for work. We calculate a separate standardized score for quality of student life and for preparation for work as the average of their respective variable scores.

The calculations are as follows:

For the quality-of-student-life variables X1,..,X7

For the four preparation-for-work variables X8,..,X11

Z-score Xn = (Xi-μi )/σi Where Xi is the ith value of the variable Xn; μi is the mean value of Xn; σi is the standard deviation of Xn.

For the variables cost of rent, cost of living excluding rent, and youth unemployment

Z-score Xn = (Xi-μi )/σi * -1

We calculate a separate standardized score for quality of student life and for preparation for work as the average of their respective variable scores.

Z-score quality of student life = 1/7× ∑_(i=7)^n▒((Xi-μi ))/σi

Z-score preparation for work = 1/4×∑_(i=4)^n▒((Xi-μi ))/σi

CDI score = Z-score quality of student life + Z-score preparation for work

CDI rank, overall = Ordinal rank of CDI score for 269 MSAs

CDI rank, within city = Ordinal rank of CDI score for all MSAs within city classification classifications