A record number of students leaving California for college. See where they’re going

The number of young adults leaving California to attend college rose nearly 70% over the last decade, with the sharpest jumps in migration coming in years when tuition and fees increased at public universities.

About 42,200 first-time, degree-seeking Californians left for out-of-state, four-year colleges in 2018, up from about 25,200 in 2008, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Department of Education. By comparison, about 18,600 students left other states to attend a four-year college in California.

Four states — Oregon, Arizona, Hawaii and Idaho — drew more than 10% of their first-time students from California in 2018.

The steepest rise in students fleeing the state took place between 2008 and 2014, when the state’s public universities raised in-state tuition to make up for funding cuts.

Tuition and fees have largely stabilized for the last several years. The increase in students leaving the state has also slowed.

Four colleges drew more than 1,000 first-time California undergraduates in 2018: The University of Oregon; The University of Arizona; Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon University.

At The University of Oregon, close to 30% of first-time undergraduates are from California.