Indiana College Readiness Report 2022
Summary
Exacerbated by the pandemic, the decline in Indiana’s college-going rate for recent high school graduates has accelerated. This presents stark challenges which must be addressed with urgency and thoughtfulness. Fewer Hoosiers are pursuing education or training after high school. The state’s college-going rate fell from 59 percent for the high school class of 2019 to 53 percent for the class of 2020. This is by far the lowest rate—and sharpest decline—in at least a generation and follows a previous height of 65 percent in 2015. This also follows a national trend of declines in the going rate and enrollment but Indiana’s decline is steeper than the national average. By co lege, we mean the full range of credentials beyond high school from a one-year certificate and up.
State and national research clearly and consistently show how valuable education beyond high school is, including through wages, civic participation and quality of life. Educational attainment is reflected in key economic and workforce data, including unemployment, labor participation, wages and net worth. These are key economic and workforce measures that illustrate the value of education beyond high school.
Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education (2022). Indiana College Readiness Report.