Skip to main content
Log in

A study of the intrastate migration of Washington college freshmen: A further test of the gravity model

  • Published:
The Annals of Regional Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Previous researchers have studied the interstate migration of college students employing a gravity conception of movement. Such a conceptualization has been found to fit the data with a high degree of correlation. The present research applies the gravity concept to the intrastate migration of Washington college freshmen from their counties of residence to their college of attendance for Fall quarter, 1972. The predictive utility of the model is tested by comparing actual migration against migration volume expected visa-vis the population and distance terms in the model. A high degree of correlation is obtained between the amount of actual and expected migration, indicating the general utility of the model to an analysis of intrastate student migration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. T. R. Anderson, “Intermetropolitan Migration: A Comparison of the Hypotheses of Zipf and Stewart,”American Sociological Review 20, (1955): 287–291.

    Google Scholar 

  2. G. A. P. Carrothers, “An Historical Review of the Gravity and Potential Concepts of Human Interaction,”Journal of the American Institute of Planners, Spring (1950).

  3. S. C. Dodd, “The Interactance Hypothesis: A Gravity Model Fitting Physical Masses and Human Groups,”American Sociological Review 15, (1950): 245–256.

    Google Scholar 

  4. C. S. Gossman, C. E. Nobbe, T. J. Patricelli, C. F. Schmid, and T. E. Steahr,Migration of College and University Students in the United States (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  5. H. G. Kariel, “Student Enrollment and Spatial Interaction,”Annals of Regional Science 2 (1968): 114–127.

    Google Scholar 

  6. H. McConnell, “Spatial Variability of College Enrollment as a Function of Migration Potential,”The Professional Geographer 17 (1965): 29–37.

    Google Scholar 

  7. E. G. Ravenstein, “The Laws of Migration,”Journal of the Royal Statistical Society XLII, Part II (1885): 114–127.

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. Q. Stewart, “The Gravitation, or Geographical Drawing Power, of a College,”American Association of University Professors 27 (1941): 70–71.

    Google Scholar 

  9. S. Stouffer, “Intervening Opportunities: A Theory Relating Mobility and Distance,”American Sociological Review 5 (1940): 845–868.

    Google Scholar 

  10. G. K. Zipf, “The P1P2/D Hypothesis on the Intercity Movement of Persons,”American Sociological Review 11 (1946): 677–686.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Additional information

This study was initiated while the authors were graduate students at Western Washington State College. The assistance of Professors Charles S. Gossman, G. Edward Stephan, and Stuart C. Dodd with various stages of this research is gratefully acknowledged.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ullis, J.J., Knowles, P.L. A study of the intrastate migration of Washington college freshmen: A further test of the gravity model. Ann Reg Sci 9, 112–121 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01284992

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01284992

Keywords

Navigation