Ohio educators say more of this year's class of high-achieving high school seniors are heading to colleges and universities out of state.

Jefferson Blackburn-Smith of Ohio State's undergraduate admissions office says all the state's public colleges are worried about the trend.

Figures for the last decade show that Ohio's colleges and universities have attracted about 84 percent of the state's college-bound seniors. The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems says that ranks Ohio 37th in the nation.

Eric Fingerhut, chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, says one of Gov. Ted Strickland's top priorities is to keep Ohio's top students in the state.

Strickland has pushed to freeze tuition at Ohio's public colleges, which are among the nation's most expensive.