Just over half of Hoosiers are receiving some kind of education after high school, according to the Lumina Foundation’s annual Stronger Nation report.
In people ages 25-64, 54 percent had a high-quality certificate or a college degree by 2022, the most recent data available. The rate for Indianais just higher than the national attainment rate of 53.7 percent.
Lumina has tracked post-secondary education in the U.S. since 2009, setting a goal to see 60 percent of adults with some kind of post-high school education by 2025.
“I think we see some really promising things,” said Courtney Brown, Lumina’s vice president of impact and planning. “First of all, the 25- to 34-year-old population is getting pretty, pretty close, it's pretty impressive.”
Marion County’s attainment rate is about 42 percent.
Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education has adopted Lumina’s goal of 60 percent post-secondary attainment. Indiana’s Chamber of Commerceannounced a loftier goal last year, working towards 70 percent in preparation for the state’s economic future.
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Brown said though the 2025 deadline seems close, states have a few more years to reach their goals.
“Regardless of if we make it or not, this is a continued journey,” Brown said. “We know we need to continue to push on attainment, we’re not going to give up or let that foot off the pedal.”
Indiana has jumped 21 percentage points in education attainment since Lumina began tracking data in 2009. Just under a third of Hoosiers have only a high school certificate.
Brown said Indiana’s data is interesting, because the number of short-term credentials and certifications have decreased.
“I wouldn’t take too much meaning out of any one-year change,” Brown said. “But they should take a hard look at their data and kind of understand what’s going on there.”
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All races and ethnicities saw increases. Asians and Pacific Islanders have the highest postsecondary attainment, overtaking white Hoosiers by more than 20 percentage points. Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native people lag far behind. National data is similar.
“We’re still seeing stubborn equity gaps with Black and Hispanic Americans sitting on one end of the spectrum, to white and Asian Americans sitting on the other,” Brown said.
Brown said since Lumina began tracking educational attainment, the nation has shifted its priorities toward student success.
“It’s not just about getting in the door. It’s about walking out the door with a credential successfully on the other side,” Brown said.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @aubreymwright.
