Report claims more Hoosiers are pursuing higher education

Educational attainment has increased among Indiana residents, according to a 2000 Census analysis released last week by IU.\nThe Indiana Business Research Center (IBRC), active in many Indiana Census programs, found that in 2000, 82.1 percent of Hoosiers over age 25 had at least a high school diploma, and 19.4 percent of this group earned a bachelor's degree or more.\nIn 1990, these figures were 75.6 percent and 15.6 percent, respectively, according census figures.\nCarol Rogers, associate director of the IBRC, deemed these statistics significant because of the relationship between education attainment and income. On average, college graduates simply make more money than those who stopped at high school, she said.\nShe also said students shouldn't attend college only in search of future wealth.\n"Do what you love. Do what you want. Not all jobs pay well, even with college education," Rogers said. "But research does show a strong correlation."\nEven though Indiana showed improvements, the state still held the third-lowest level of bachelor's degree or higher attainment, according to 2000 Census data released thus far for 13 states.\n"We might have expected higher, but we saw inroads to people at least getting some college," Rogers said.\nThe IBRC found the most educated county was Hamilton, with the six most highly educated counties located in metropolitan areas of the state. Census 2000 data showed Hamilton County also enjoyed the highest median household income at $71,026.\nMost professional jobs are located in metropolitan areas. Hamilton County started as a bedroom community to Indianapolis, with people working in the city, but living outside of it. People are coming into Marion County for jobs, but they prefer living in Hamilton, Rogers said.\nMonroe County, although the second most educated county according to the IBRC, was ranked 87th in median household income, at $33,311, by Census 2000 reports.\nAlso, in Monroe, 31.7 percent of individuals 17 or older live in poverty. This figure is deceptively high because of the student population, which also pushes down the median household income, Rogers said.\nTeachers and graduate instructors aren't exactly raking in the wealth either, she said.\nMore examination of 2000 Census results may uncover other educational trends within the state, but not immediately.\n"It's going to take a long time to work through all of this information," Rogers said.