Locational choices and the costs of distance: Empirical evidence for Dutch graduates

This study identifies and analyzes the effects of university/college graduates' personal, household and employment characteristics as well as the relative attributes of their study and work locations on their college-to-work distances. The results illustrate that graduates are drawn to prospering regions with ample job opportunities, supposedly in order to advance their careers. Furthermore, we model and estimate the effect of college-to-work distance on college-to-residence and commuting distances. We find that graduates tend to choose their places of residence so as to balance their commuting distances and the distances to their previous places of study.