Young adults may be leaving Iowa, but not until they have a degree in hand.Iowa State currently enrolls 19,463 students from the state of Iowa and 4,836 from out of state, said Kevin Brown, communication specialist for ISU News Service. There are also 2,516 international students at Iowa State.”Colleges and universities in Iowa are attractive to students from in state because I think what they offer is very consistent with what students are looking for in their post-secondary education,” said John Schuh, chairman and professor of educational leadership and policy studies.One of the reasons students stay in state is because it’s a good value, he said.”Students like it here because they receive a high-quality educational experience at a reasonable cost,” Schuh said. “It is a good return on their investment.”Other reasons include the research facilities provided by Iowa State, he said.Sarah Deardorff, sophomore in communication studies from Yale, said she had many options for higher education after high school, but chose to stay in Iowa.”The main thing that I thought staying in state, and specifically what Iowa State offered, was better opportunities,” she said.Deardorff said she enjoys the atmosphere on campus as well as life outside the classroom, such as the success of the football and basketball teams. She said these have been high points in her career at Iowa State.”I also think it’s good so many students stay in state because it is good revenue for the state,” she said. “It will allow for future success of educational programs as well as other things.”Phil Caffrey, associate director of admissions, said Iowa State has been successful at attracting Iowa high school students.”As long as the statistic has been kept, Iowa State has enrolled more Iowa high school graduate seniors than any other university anywhere,” he said. “You simply cannot make a better investment for you future.”Jared Bucksa, senior in animal ecology from New Brighton, Minn., said there were a variety of reasons he left Minnesota to attend Iowa State.”Iowa State has a real strong reputation as far as my major is concerned and I basically liked it here a lot.” he said. “Iowa State is a great school to graduate from because it carries a lot of weight when it comes time to look for a job.”The proximity to home is another reason he chose to go out of state, Bucksa said.”I’m only three hours from home, so it is far enough away that I can truly be on my own,” he said, “but at the same time I can get home whenever I want.”Bucksa said he made the right choice and has really enjoyed his time in college.”Iowa State has been a great place for me,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of great people and I’m glad I made the choice to come here.”