Baltimore?s next generation of business leaders could come directly from local colleges and universities, according to a recent study conducted by the Baltimore Collegetown Network.

For the 2006 study, the Baltimore Collegetown Network, a consortium of 16 local public and private colleges and universities, surveyed 3,224 students. The survey found that 31.5 percent of students who attend college in Baltimore would stay or were likely to stay in Baltimore following graduation, marking a 65 percent increase from 2003, the last time the organization conducted the study. The study also found that 73 percent of students surveyed would recommend Baltimore as a good place to attend college.