Post-secondary education choices and labour market outcomes of high school graduates in the Atlantic Provinces: 2021 high school graduates update

Abstract

Student transitions into post-secondary education and the workforce provide important insights into broader educational and economic pathways across Atlantic Canada. Using linked administrative data from primary and secondary school records, post-secondary enrolment files, and income tax information, this study provides an updated view of the post-secondary choices, mobility patterns, and early employment outcomes of high school graduates across the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The analysis extends previous DataNB research by incorporating newly available data for Prince Edward Island and adding results for the 2021 graduating cohort. The report examines three dimensions of graduate outcomes: transitions into public post-secondary institutions, interprovincial mobility and retention following high school and post-secondary completion, and early labour market outcomes measured through province of employment and earned income. Results are presented separately for each province to highlight both shared regional patterns and province-specific differences.