Ball State Joins Effort to Plug the ‘Brain Drain’

Ball State is the highest ranked Indiana school on the Princeton Review's Top 50 Entrepreneur Undergrad programs.

Ball State University has joined a statewide effort to reverse-course the “brain drain” to the “brain gain.” The initiative is an attempt to bring college-educated professionals back to Indiana.

Started by Purdue University in 2018, Brain Gain is a collaboration of Indiana universities, civic organizations, and businesses trying to encourage alumni who live out of state to return to Indiana. The group is working with Indianapolis-based TMap, a company that uses technology and consumer marketing to recruit professionals to the state.

“Indiana is a great place for people to have fulfilling careers and to lead meaningful lives,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “Indiana has a lot to offer talented professionals. With a strong economy, many opportunities, and Hoosier values, our state is thriving.”

While the state may be thriving, Indiana is still losing a large number of its college graduates. According to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Indiana ranks 10th in the nation in the number of science and technology degrees produced as a percent of all degrees, but 38th when it comes to percent of population, ages 25 and over, holding those degrees. In short, the state is losing those graduates to other states.

BSU says of about 40 occupations that are most in demand, the vast majority require at least a bachelor’s degree.“For Indiana to continue to grow, we need qualified professionals to fill many job openings throughout the state,” Mearns said. 

President Mearns is featured in a short video message to alumni about brain gain efforts that you can watch here.