Across Indiana higher learning is lacking. For every 100 ninth-grade students, only 70 will graduate from high school within four years. Of those students, only 45 will enter college the following fall. By their college sophomore year, just 32 will still be enrolled. By the end of college, only 16 of those original 100 students will graduate on time. Numbers like these are contributing to Indiana’s ranking as 43rd in the nation for its percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher. To survive and thrive in the 21st century, all students must graduate high school and move on to college. With the U.S. Department of Labor estimating that 90 percent of new jobs will require at least some postsecondary education, it’s no exaggeration to say that students’ lives depend on it.

Early College in Indiana puts the pathways in place so that all students make higher education both a goal and a reality. Designed specifically for those students who often don’t know their full potential, Early College High School breaks down the barriers that prevent students from attending college and replaces them with bridges to postsecondary success. Students from across Indiana who have traditionally fallen through the cracks are now opening the door to new opportunities.