Growth and Change in Human Capital across the Canadian Urban Hierarchy, 1996—2001

University degree holders in large cities are more prevalent and are growing at a more rapid pace than in smaller cities and rural areas. This relatively high rate of growth stems from net migratory flows and/or higher rates of degree attainment in large cities. Using data from the 1996 and 2001 Canadian censuses, this paper tests the relative importance of these two sources of human capital growth by decomposing degree-holder growth across cities into net migratory flows (domestic and foreign) and in situ growth: that is, growth resulting from higher rates of degree attainment among the resident populations of cities. It is found that both sources are important. Hence, it is the ability of cities both to attract and to generate degree holders that underlies the high rates of degree attainment observed across city populations.