From Students to Movers: Linking Internal and International Migration Trajectories Among Spanish Bachelor's and Advanced Vocational Training Graduates

Abstract

The relationship between internal and international migration has traditionally been overlooked in migration research. Seeking to bridge this divide, we examine the cumulative, socioeconomically selective and functionally differentiated nature of youth spatial mobility. Using harmonized microdata from two nationally representative surveys of bachelor's graduates and advanced vocational trainees from the 2013/2014 cohort, we examine the role of pre-graduation mobility, social origin and field of study in shaping postgraduation migration outcomes. Our findings show that any form of educational mobility is a strong predictor of subsequent migration. Migration trajectories are also stratified by parental education, with graduates from more privileged backgrounds more likely to engage in international or complex mobility paths. Additionally, migration motives and patterns vary by migration type and field of study, supporting a functional differentiation between internal and international mobility. These results highlight how different forms of mobility are embedded in cumulative life-course processes and socially structured opportunity regimes, underscoring the need for more integrated theoretical and policy approaches to youth migration.