Brain drain, or the idea of educated young people leaving Iowa for better jobs, might be a myth.

Beth F. Ingram, director of the Institute for Economic Research in the Tippie College of Business and professor of economics at the University of Iowa, said data does not support the brain drain theory in Iowa. She made these statements at an economic summit in Des Moines on Monday sponsored by the Iowa Women in Public Policy.

“Why do we think that? New college graduates may be leaving, but others with college degrees are moving in to compensate,” Ingram said.

She said the 2000 census revealed Iowa to be a little more educated than the rest of the country.

Ingram said statistics from 2001 show that 25 percent of people moving to Iowa have less than a high school education. Thirty-two percent of people who left Iowa the same year had less than a high school degree.

Ingram said data from 1998 indicated a person with only a high school education made $17,148, compared to the $32,022 made by someone with a bachelor’s degree.

Loni Pringnitz, program coordinator of Engineering Career Services for the College of Engineering at Iowa State, said of 346 engineering graduates during the 2001-02 school year, 100 stayed in Iowa. Last December, 129 students graduated in engineering with 44 finding jobs in Iowa.

“It would help if employers could be better educated to use the career services available to recruit and retain students from our Iowa colleges,” Pringnitz said.

Pringnitz said about 65 percent of engineering graduates leave the state.

Daniel Bumblauskas, senior in industrial engineering from West Des Moines, said he wants to be a lawyer.

“I would love to stay here. I’m hoping to go to Iowa or Drake,” Bumblauskas said. “But if I don’t get in, I will have to leave.”

He said without financial help from Drake, the tuition would be too high to attend. His backup plan is to find a job in engineering.

“I have some interviews in engineering,” Bumblauskas said. “Only one out of four are in Iowa, though.”