Grads Going Global

by Richard Florida

Earlier this week I posted on the best cities for college grads to launch their careers. But what are the top countries new grads are looking to?

The same survey asked both American and foreign-born students to name the best countries in which to do so.

Most Popular Countries for College Grads to Launch Their Careers

American	Foreign Born
1. United Kingdom	1.United Kingdom
2. China	2.China
3. United States	3.United States
4. France	4.Hong Kong
5. Australia	5.India
6. Japan	6.Japan
7. Germany	7.Australia
8. Hong Kong	8.Germany
9. Spain	9.Canada
10. Italy	10.France

Source: CareerCast.com

The United States ranked third among both groups - behind the UK and China. Both groups also favored Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Germany, and France, while foreign students named India and Canada as among the 10 best countries to start their work lives.The high ranking of the UK puzzles me, while the high ranking for China excites me.

If nothing else, these findings corroborate other studies and data points which suggest the United States may be losing some of its allure as the globe's center for economic opportunity. But at least our students seem more inclined to go out and embrace the world.