A third of young people from Northern Ireland who go to university travel outside Northern Ireland, mainly to the North West of England and Scotland, and only a third of those who graduate return back home.
The claim that "a third of young people from Northern Ireland who go to university travel outside Northern Ireland" is closer to a quarter. On 11 March 2018, Brian Smyth claimed that "…a third of young people from Northern Ireland who go to university travel outside NI, mainly to the North West of England and Scotland, and only a third of those who graduate return back home." [...] We found that Brian Smyth’s claim that "…a third of young people from Northern Ireland who go to university travel outside Northern Ireland, mainly to the North West of England and Scotland, and only a third of those who graduate return back home" was generally factually accurate. The Department of Economy statistics suggest that the figure for those leaving Northern Ireland for Great Britain institutions is closer to 26.9%; it is closer to a third for those enrolled full-time. After graduation, the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey indicates that 33.1% of Northern Irish students returned home to work.