FORT WAYNE, Ind.
(AP) - The percentage of Indiana high school graduates enrolling in college
continues to drop, according to a report by the Indiana Commission for
Higher Education.
The 2019 College
Readiness Report shows that 63% of 2017 graduates went immediately to
college, dropping from 64% in 2016 and 65% in 2015, The Journal Gazette
reported. The national average is 67%, the commission said.
"One of the
challenges facing higher education and reflected in this report is the
decline in enrollment over recent years. Declining birth rates will impact
enrollment patterns in the future, too,” Teresa Lubbers, Indiana’s
commissioner for higher education, said in a statement.
The report found
that around 46% of the 2017 high school graduates were enrolled in a public
state college, with Ivy Tech Community being the most favored.
Carl Drummond, vice
chancellor for academic affairs and enrollment management at Purdue
University Fort Wayne, said the statewide slip hasn’t impacted the college.
“Rather, last fall
we experienced an 11.9% increase in new student enrollment and we are
anticipating further growth in new students in the fall 2019 class.”
Drummond said. “We believe these gains have been achieved because we offer
outstanding academic programs, a generous financial aid program, and an
institutional commitment to student success.”
Roughly 67% of
college-bound students wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree, the report
revealed, and many received a college credit while in high school. The
report also notes that 88% of the students did not require remediation.
John Shannon, vice
president for academic affairs at Trine University, said he has observed
that college-bound students are entering the institution better prepared.
“Trine University
has raised its academic criteria from what it was in past years, and yet our
student body continues to grow, so we (know) that our students have higher
credentials coming in,” Shannon said in an email. “Anecdotally, it seems
that they are transferring in more dual enrollment credits than ever before,
as well."