Indicator: 31 - Youth Planning to Attend College

Why This Is Important

Obtaining additional education after completing high school increases employment opportunities and income potential for young people. Increasing the aspirations of Maine students is a primary goal of many of Maine's educational policymaking groups.

Where We Stand

There was some increase in high school graduates planning to attend post-secondary school between 1996 and 2001. These figures include graduates from all public high schools, from private high schools with at least 60% publicly-funded students, and from state-funded schools. Separate tabulations for all other private schools in the state show that about 90% of their graduates intended to enroll in post-secondary programs over this same period.

In comparison, slightly different data on youth transition to college is available for the nation as a whole from 1996 to 1999. The percentage of high school completers enrolled in college the October after completing high school for those years was 65.0% in 1996, 67.0% in 1997, 65.6% in 1998, and 62.9% in 1999.

Data Sources and Context

The source of Maine data for this indicator is the Maine Department of Education. Figures include high school graduates who intend to or are enrolled full- or part-time in post-secondary programs, according to a survey administered by local educational units and submitted in the fall following graduation. The rate is calculated as a percent of all students graduating (including regular diploma, other diploma, high school equivalency, or certificate of completion) during the previous school year or subsequent summer school. The data is available on-line at http://www.state.me.us/education/enroll/grads/gradspost.htm.