In this paper, we investigate how reductions of barriers to migration a¤ect the decision of middle school graduates to attend high school in rural China. Change in the cost of migration is identified using exogenous variation across counties in the timing of national identity card distribution, which made it easier for rural migrants to register as temporary residents in urban destinations. After taking care to address potential strengths and weaknesses of our identification strategy, we find a robust negative relationship between migrant opportunity and high school enrollment. The mechanisms behind the negative relationship are suggested by observed increases in the subsequent employment rates of high school age young adults in both local and migrant non-agricultural activities with increases in the share of village residents working as migrants outside the village.