College completion data worries Indiana officials about future of workforce
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State educational officials worry that there might not be enough college-educated Hoosiers to meet the state’s future workforce needs after the Indiana College Completion Report 2022 shows the states graduation rates continue to improve, but progress is needed to increase educational attainment.
The report comes from the Indiana Commission for Higher Learning.
Inside the data, they break down statistics and numbers from colleges across the state regarding college profiles. Note that each Indiana college profile shows the percentage of students who start and finish at their campus of origin, as well as those who complete at another institution or with a different degree over three different time horizons. The college profiles also present completion rates to illuminate how completion patterns differ by student population based on income level and race/ethnicity.
Sean Tierney is the commission’s associate commissioner for Business Intelligence & Chief Economist.
He said there’s been continual progress in students completing college on time, and even extending students who may take up to six years to complete their degree, but there’s always room for improvement.
“Colleges around the state are struggling to attract more people to their campuses. That’s something that is going to be a significant concern to the economy going forward,” Tierney said.
The report said 350,000 Hoosiers initially go to college, but never finish their degree.
That means more debt for Hoosiers, along with jobs they won’t qualify for. It’s also harder for students to return to college if they have previous debts to schools.
“Basically after six years, we still have about 30% of bachelor seeking students who have not earned a degree and about 60% of associate seeking students who also have not earned a degree,” Tierney said. “We know that when it comes to completing college that a big barrier is the costs.”
Indiana Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner, said officials want to see higher educational attainment. That includes certificates and associates, but there’s a significant need for bachelor degrees.
“Which not only benefits the state of Indiana, but most importantly it benefits the individual person who finishes college on time,” Jenner said. “So we know from a variety of data about the job market ahead or the job market of our future that we are going to have to continue having that increase in college educated individuals.”
The report also showed adult learners, low-income, and underrepresented students are less likely to graduate on time than their peers across all campus types.
They offer recommendations to combat the issue such as auto-enrolling eligible students into the 21st Century Scholars program. They also want to encourage students to participate in the scholars success program and increase duel credit opportunities for high school seniors.
Additionally, Indiana’s college campuses have different missions, different admission standards and serve students with differing levels of academic preparation. When comparing completion rates, a campus is best measured against its own improvement over past performance.