Author: Samuel Cookson, Ted McDonald, Pablo Miah, Jacob Morehouse
Year: 2026
Category:
Economy and Labour,
Education and Training
Full Report | Provincial summaries NB | NL | NS | PEI
Each year, high school graduates across Atlantic Canada make decisions about whether to continue their education, enter the local workforce, or move to another province. This report looks at how graduates from the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) transition into public colleges and universities, where they live after finishing their studies, and where they work in the early years of their careers.
This study uses linked administrative data to follow the graduating classes of 2015 to 2021, extending a previous DataNB report by incorporating newly available data. It shows that most students who pursue further education choose to study in their home province, and many remain there after completing high school or post-secondary programs. Most employed graduates also report working in their home province one year after graduation. Mean incomes rise over time for graduates at all education levels, with higher earnings among those who complete university or college.
Overall, the findings describe more current patterns in post-secondary transitions and early employment across the Atlantic provinces, with future data expected to further clarify these trends.
